A big surprise
by storyofeden
Summary: When the Forensic Unit arrives back in Washington, DC., Cam has a little surprise for all of them. And a big surprise for one of them.  Rating is for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: This is the first story that I have published. Therefore, reviews are greatly appreciated. I mostly know where this is going, but the ultimate length will probably depend on whether or not people actually like the story.**

**Thanks to my bff Mollie, for reading it and not judging me.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones. If I did, Cam and Hodgins would be together. Clearly. Hart Hanson does a much better job than I ever would. That's why he gets the big bucks.**

**Here we go.**

Dr. Camille Saroyan was running low on sleep. She had been up for what seemed like days, and it didn't look to be improving any time soon. The team was coming back tomorrow.

Entering her apartment, she set her briefcase down and immediately began to dig money out of her purse. Lindsey, the baby sitter, walked into the living room from the direction of the nursery.

"Thank you so much Lindsey," Cam sighed her exhaustion as she handed the young girl her pay.

"It's no problem. She was wonderful, as always. See you tomorrow!" the girl bounced out of the apartment and down the hallway towards the stairs. Cam could only dream of having that much energy.

Walking into the nursery, Cam was relieved to find that Alexis was sleeping soundly in her crib. Cam gazed down at her daughters sleeping figure. Between the entire forensic unit being gone, having a new born, and finding any extra time to sleep, she often forgot to just stop and breathe.

Alexis Jaiden Saroyan was born with mocha skin, bright blue eyes, and curly black hair. Cam could still remember the day she was born. Lord, it was a day she was sure to never forget.

* * *

_"Cherie, you are nine months pregnant. You should not be here, at the lab, slicin' open a dead body. It's just not right." Caroline Julian scolded her. At this point however, Cam couldn't afford to stay off her feet. There was too much to do and too little time to do it in. The forensic team was out of the country, with the exception of her and Sweets, if he did indeed count as part of the forensic team._

_"No, Caroline. I am fine. Now, why is it that you came to see me. I'm a little busy in case you haven't noticed." Cam snapped, unnecessarily. Thank God she could blame the pregnancy hormones._

_"There is no need to take that tone with me, cherie. I only want to make sure that you're ok. You're little squints aren't around to keep an eye out, so that job falls on me."_

_"Well, thank you Miss Julian, but I am just fine. In fact, I—" Cam stopped what she was saying and quickly laid a hand on her stomach. Her face scrunched in pain, and she could feel a warm liquid running down her leggings. Cam looked to the other woman with a face of sheer panic._

_"Don't worry, cherie," Caroline waved her hand with and air of confidence, "I'll drive you to the hospital. Lord knows I'll get you there faster than some ambulance."_

* * *

Stirring some sugar into her tea, Cam sat on the couch in the living room, her legs folded under her, with a trashy romance novel in her lap. _Ahhh_, she thought, _finally, some peace and quiet._

As if on cue, Alexis began to cry from her crib. Of course, she's a perfect angel when everyone else is around, but with her, she's a handful and half. _Just like her father_, Cam couldn't help but think. Within the first few wails, Cam could already tell it was hungry cry. If there was one thing Alexis could do, it was eat like a champion.

Setting her book and tea on the coffee table, she got up, grabbed some formula in a bottle, and walked down the hall to the nursery. She picked up Alexis, and the baby almost immediately stopped her crying.

"Hey, baby girl," Cam soothed as the baby attached herself to the bottle and sucked hungrily. Cam quietly watched her daughter.

She was perfect. At 2 months, Alexis already had a near full head of hair. Dark brown, almost black, as to compliment her mocha colored skin. When Alexis was sleeping, anyone could tell that this was very clearly Cam's daughter. Awake and smiling, however, Alexis looked just like her father: those blue eyes could not be missed.

Sighing, Cam noticed that her daughter had finished the bottle, and was gazing up at her mother with a look full of love…and questions. Silently, Cam cursed herself and sat down in the rocking chair, shifting Alexis to make her easier to burp.

Unbeknownst to the happy, sleepy baby, Cam began to sniffle, and before she knew it, the tears came.

* * *

_"Cherie, you have got to breath. You are breaking my hand." Caroline tried to calm Cam down._

_To an outsider, the situation would be comical. Cam in a hospital, her feet in stirrups, screaming at the top of her lungs. Caroline in a smock, holding hands with the crying patient._

_To an outsider, the situation would be comical. To Cam and Caroline, the situation was anything but. Cam refused to let Caroline call her father and sister. The two hadn't spoken to her since she explained that she was pregnant, and that she and Booth hadn't been together for years, so the baby couldn't be his._

_Cam had also refused to let Caroline call any of the squints._

_So there they were. Cam and Caroline. Delivering a baby. Lord help us all._

_What seemed like days later, but was actually only hours, when they brought Alexis to her mother, Cam wept silent tears. Caroline politely excused herself, wishing she knew who the father was, beyond just a hunch._

* * *

Alexis was finally asleep, several hours later. After placing her back in her crib, Cam wandered into the living, grabbed her cold tea, and contemplated reheating it. Looking at the clock, and noticing that she could have a few hours of really good sleep if Alexis didn't wake her up too often, she poured her drink down the sink, and headed for her bedroom.

Tomorrow, the squints came home. Her forensic unit would be back and good as new. Part of Cam was happy everyone was coming back. It would make her work load a lot less, leaving her more time for Alexis.

The other part of Cam was dreading tomorrow.

Just as she had finally gotten comfortable and was almost asleep, Alexis let out a wail that could wake the neighbors.

Sighing, Cam got out of bed, and went to check on her daughter, knowing that sleep, once again, would not come easily tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thank you all SO much for the FF's and Reviews. they are much appreciated. I had this mostly written before the first chapter was ever published, so it's up fairly quickly. Other chapters may not come so easily.**

**This chapter is dedicated to my partner [in crime] and friend, Mollie.**

**This chapter was especially difficult. The section that came to me most easily gave me some trouble of being too Out of Character. Hopefully, I stayed true to their forms.**

**Here we go.**

The alarm went off at 7:00am. So when Cam opened her eyes, she groaned, realizing that she was going on a total of three hours of sleep. Even when Alexis would finally calm down, Cam's brain often wouldn't stop thinking long enough for her to sleep. She thought about everything from the current case, to past cases, to her personal life, to what kind of life she could provide for Alexis. It seemed as though it was just Cam finally got sleepy, Alexis would start up again.

Clearly, neither of the Saroyan women was very happy about today.

After getting them both dressed and fed, Cam sat in the living room holding Alexis, waiting for Lindsey to arrive.

When the phone rang, Cam half expected it to be Caroline telling her that everyone had arrived.

"Hello?"

"Miss Cam? I'm so sorry, but I can't make it in to today. I'm super sick, and I don't want to expose little AJ to whatever it is. I'm sure to be good as knew in a couple of days though." Lindsey's usually peppy voice was weak, and coughs wound their way into her speech.

"Oh…Well. I'm sorry you don't feel well. Don't worry about it, just call when you feel better."

"Thanks Miss Cam! Have a good day."

"You too, Lindsey."

Cam hung up the phone and sighed. Today, of all days, was not the day for this. Not with all the squints coming back and everyone getting acclimated.

"Well, baby girl. It looks like you get to go to work with mommy today. You ready to shake things up?" Cam asked her daughter as she placed her in the carrier, grabbed the baby bag, her briefcase, and made her way to her car.

* * *

Walking into the Jeffersonian, Cam hung outside the lab for a few minutes. Everyone else had arrived already, so she took this time to take everything in.

Dr. Brennan hadn't changed much. But then, outwardly, she rarely did. It was her personality that changed when she came back from a dig. She was always happier.

Seeley bulked up some. The muscles in his arms and shoulders were making his suit fit him even better than usual.

Angela looked almost more beautiful than when she left. _Of course_, Cam thought, _it's Angela. Why wouldn't she?_

Her eyes came to rest on Hodgins. His back was to her, but she could already tell that his blue eyes were shining with a happiness he hadn't had when he left. Paris, she was sure, had been good to him.

Finally mustering up the courage, Cam walked through the glass doors, the noise causing everyone to turn. The silence was deafening for a moment. Cam carrying a baby and a diaper bag along with her briefcase was clearly not what they had expected to see.

True to form, Dr. Brennan was first to break the silence, "Cam, why do you have a baby?"

Her sheer lack of tact brought everything back to normal. Cam's tension eased a little.

"Jeez, Bones. You don't just ask someone that."

"Booth, it could be another case where the parents were killed, but the baby was found and we have to take custody."

"Bones. Come on. Look at that baby. She looks—"

"Exactly like Cam." Booth and Angela said at the same time.

"Cam! How come you didn't tell us!" Angela squealed, " You should've called us or something. Oh my God, she's adorable. What's her name?"

"Alexis…um. Alexis Jaiden." Cam stuttered. It was clear that the baby had already stolen the hearts of the team.

"God, the skin and those eyes! Those are damn good genes, sweetie." Angela noticed, "Can I hold her?"

"Oh, of course." Cam set the carrier down, and slowly lifted AJ out of it and into Angela's arms. Alexis was then passed slowly from one team member to the other. She got fussy when Seeley held her, but Dr. Brennan made her giggle with the Dancing Phalanges motions. Cam was about to steal her out of Seeley's arms, knowing that AJ would already be hungry, the way that baby ate.

"Can I hold her?" Hodgins asked quietly.

"Oh. Um. Well. She's getting fussy. I really should feed her and then—" Hodgins cut her off with a look.

_He knows_, she thought.

"Yeah, of course," Cam changed her answer with a smile.

Hodgins gently lifted Alexis from Seeley's arms to his. After a few seconds of staring into AJ's eyes, He looked up at Cam with a mixture of hurt, love, and questions.

Cam knew that look all too well.

* * *

_Cam stared at the small stick in her hand, the two pink lines staring back at her._

This cannot be happening, _she thought_. This cannot be happening. This cannot be—

_A knock on her door shook Cam from her thoughts. Throwing the pregnancy test and the box into the trash can, Cam left the bathroom and made her way to the door. Just as she opened it, Hodgins came rushing in._

_"Hodgins? What are you doing here?"_

_"Let's go, Cam. Let's just get out of here. Dr. Brennan and Booth are leaving. Daisy is leaving. I'm sure everyone else will scatter. Let's go. We'll go to paris." Cam hadn't seen Hodgins vibrate like this since the JFK case._

Tell him, _her brain screamed. _Tell him you're pregnant.

_"Jack, Dr. Brennan and Booth are running from each other. Miss Wick is leaving because she wants to be like her role model. And you don't know that everyone else will scatter."_

_"Cam, I don't care. Let's go somewhere. We'll go to Paris."_

_"Jack—"_

_"I love you, Camille."_

_There was a silence between them that was almost palpable. Cam's good sense was telling her to tell him about the baby. Part of her wanted to go with him, and that last part, the part that had always stopped her from getting hurt in the past, put all those walls up._

_"Dr. Hodgins. I have a job here, as do you, might I add. I am staying here," There was pause in her speech as she took a deep breath. "Jack, I…We had sex, Jack. We were both a little inebriated and there was a lapse in judgment. I'm sorry that we crossed a line once, but we work together."_

_"Camille…" Hodgins' voice was quiet, his voice cracking a little._

_Cam quieted her voice to match his, hoping her prior ramblings hadn't sounded so harsh. "We're both adults, Jack. I'm sure we can work around that night. We've both had one night stands before."_

_The look on Hodgins' face was one new for Cam. His eyes said so much all at once: anger, sadness, questions. Most of all, his look told her that he loved her._

_"It wasn't a one night stand, Cam. We didn't just have sex. You and I both know that. We've been avoiding each other for weeks. When you finally decide to face the truth, you will know where to find me. You can't get rid of me that easy."_

_Turning sharply on his heel, Hodgins was out the door before Cam could come up with a response._

_Cam's thoughts wandered back to the fact that lay discarded in the bathroom trashcan, the fact that was inside of her. Cam wasn't ignoring what happened. She couldn't. She had to face the facts._

* * *

Alexis cried out in Hodgins' arms, breaking Cam from her memory. Hodgins, panicked, looked to her for help.

"Don't worry, she's just hungry," Cam grabbed the bottle from the baby bag and took Alexis into her arms, "She's hungry…a lot."

Booth saved the awkward moment, "Wait. Does your dad think she's mine? Because I don't want to die today. I haven't even gotten to see Parker yet!"

"Ah, no. I had to tell him that we weren't together, let alone that it wasn't your baby. He wasn't too happy, if you can imagine." Cam laughed, and Alexis giggled, dribbling formula everywhere.

"Looks like someone enjoys her mama's laugh," Angela teased, reaching for a towel in the baby bag.

"Cam? Who is the father of your baby?

"Jeez, Bones. Have a little tact," Booth reprimanded.

"Well, if your dad wasn't in the delivery room, as I assume your sister wasn't, and none of us were in the country, who was in there with you?"

"Bones!" Booth squeaked again, finding the situation too awkward.

"Yeah Cam! Why didn't you call any of us? Hodgins and I would've come back from France, I'm sure. We weren't_ that_ preoccupied if you catch my drift, "Angela tried to joke, "So, who was with you?"

"That would be me, cherie," Caroline stated, walking into the lab. Stopping short when she saw the group together, Caroline almost fainted.

Cam saw the look on Caroline's face, and she knew. Caroline had figured it out.

* * *

**Again, FF's and Reviews are appreciated! Thank you all. :]**

* * *

Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3

****

**Author's Note: I hope this chapter was worth chapter was worth the wait. It took me a while because I wanted to make sure I stayed in character an all, but after some loooong talks with Mollie and Ihop, it all got down on paper.**

**Credit goes to Mollie for the letter. Even when we have awful fights [bickering, really] she still manages to help me. Don't worry. "...We've worked around bigger. Metaphorically speaking."**

**Also, I don't own Bones. Hart Hanson does.**

* * *

Chapter 3

Caroline, after assuring them that everything had gone ok in Cam's pregnancy and delivery, began debriefing the team about the problem at hand.

"The reason we're here…" No one seemed to be listening to her. They were all excited about the baby. "The reason we're here...Hello!"

Everyone stopped and turned to look at Caroline.

"Cam, here, has decided to launch a jihad." Caroline mused.

"You mean other than a baby?" Booth couldn't help himself.

"Far, far above us on the food chain. Someone with a cold heart has decided that Cam must be silenced."

"Totally impressed," Hodgins murmured. There was twinkle in his eye. Cam allowed her self to believe that things would be alright.

Caroline and Cam went about explaining the case.

"Do you believe this is the kid?" Hodgins asked her, almost hoping Cam would get all awkward.

"The media does and they're saying I'm incompetent because I won't confirm or deny." Cam didn't break under his stare. "The bug guy says insect activity indicates that the time of death was between six and twelve weeks ago."

"That's a useless time frame." Booth, for once, was the one stating the obvious.

"Yeah. The bug guy's not Hodgins." Cam stated, looking at him.

The look on Hodgins face softened, and Cam almost forget that she was mad at him. Almost.

After getting the rest of the details, the squints got all excited about working together again. Before they all went to their separate stations, am stopped them.

"Thank you guys…"

The sincerity in Cam's voice made everyone go silent for a moment. Alexis broke the silence this time with a wail of epic proportions.

"Ok, looks like nap time. I'll be in my office if anyone needs me. Thank you all, again." Cam placed Alexis in the carrier, and went to pick up her two bags, plus the carrier.

Picking up the baby bag, and Cam's briefcase, Angela volunteered to help. "I don't have anything to do until Bren finishes with the skull examination anyway. We can have girl time."

Cam's breath caught in her throat. _This_ was what she had been dreading.

* * *

_A few months after everyone left, Cam had just parked in front of her building after a long, hard day at work. She made her way from her car to the door of her building. Just inside the door, she grabbed her mail from her box and went down the hall and up the stairs. Entering her apartment, she set her bag down and went into Michelle's room to check on the sleeping teenager. It was late, so the she was already in bed. Cam stood in the door way with her hand on her distended stomach. She had never pictured herself as a mother, yet here she was. In three or so months, she would have a newborn, on top of dealing with a teenage girl._

_Sighing, Cam was about to close the door when she heard her name._

_"Cam?"_

_"Michelle? What are you doing up?"_

_"I couldn't sleep."_

_Moving to her side and sitting lightly on the bed, Cam rubbed the younger girls back. "Ah, come on, Michelle. What's on your mind?"_

_"You're pregnant. Things are gonna change around here. We both know how well we do change."_

_"I know, hon. If you must know, I'm a little terrified myself."_

_"You'll be a good mother, Cam. You've done well by me."_

_"Yes, well. Newborns aren't really my thing."_

_"Cam, I'm really glad you're having this baby, but…" the young girl got quiet._

_"But?..."_

_"It's gonna be really loud around her isn't it"_

_"And hectic. And stressful." Cam smiled. Part of her couldn't wait._

_"Am I gonna be in the way?"_

_Cam felt for the girl. First her father, and now Cam. The girl couldn't catch a break._

_"Of course not. I'm happy to have you around. You know that."_

_"I love you, Cam," Michelle said sleepily._

_Standing, Cam brushed silent tears from her eyes at the girls sentiment._

_"I love you too, Michelle."_

_After closing Michelle's bedroom door, Cam wandered into the kitchen for something to drink. After pouring herself a glass of orange juice, she went through her mail._

Bill, bill, invitation to some event I won't go to, bill…_Cam's mail, per usual, looked to be nothing interesting. That was, until a very plain white envelope with all too familiar handwriting. Dreading what was to come, she looked more closely at the outise of the letter._

_The stamp was French._

_Carefully, Cam opened the letter and unfolded it._

_Slowly, she read the letter._

_"**Camille,**_

**_I will always love you. You hold a place in my heart that no one else will be able to fill. I know it was bold to ask you to go to Paris with me. You have to understand that I needed to go and I needed to be happy, just as you deserve to be._**

**_While you'll always hold a place in my heart, I know better than to wait, because with you and me, the chances of getting it perfect are slim. [After all, what drives you crazy?...Me.] So I took my shot. I don't know how else to say it, so I'll come right out with it. Cam, I got married in Paris. To Angela. She makes me happy and more importantly, I make her happy._**

**_I'm sorry if I've hurt you, Camille. I'll always remember that night, and I hope that you'll one day find love again._**

**_Love Always,_**

**_Jack_**_."_

_Somewhere in reading the letter, Cam had begun to cry. Setting the letter down, she rested her elbows down on the counter, holding her head in her hands. Her crying soon became sobs that she couldn't hold back any longer._

_Hodgins was married._

_After professing his love to her, he got married to someone else._

_Get a grip, Camille, she thought. You refused to go with him._

_Between how stressful work had been lately and this, Cam wasn't sure she'd be able to handle much more. She had to start making changes in her life._

_Her inner monologue was cut off by a sharp pain in her abdomen. Going still, Cam tried not to move, wondering if it was just an awkward position or something…_

_The pain started again._

_But this time it didn't stop._

_Cam vaguely remembered yelling Michelle's name as she slid to the floor, the world going dark._

* * *

Cam walked into her office ahead of Angela. Instructing Angela where to set the bags, she lifted Alexis out of her carrier and hushed the crying infant.

"So that was like, super awkward right? With Booth being the father but with no one knowing and—"

"Woah. What?" Cam interrupted.

"I mean, I figure Booth is the father. Who else could it be?"

"It's not Booth." Cam said quietly.

"Oh my God, then who is it? You have to dish." Angela was way too excited about this.

Staring down at Alexis, who was getting quieter and drowsier by the moment, Cam's thoughts started racing. This was not how today was supposed to go. Getting stuck in the same room with Angela was not the most desired outcome.

"So," Cam finally spoke. "I see you and Hodgins finally got married. Congratulations."

"Nice change on subject, Cam. But, if you must know, yes. We did get married. Oh, it was beautiful, totally spur of the moment. We…"

At some point, Cam zoned out, not caring to hear all the "gory details" of the marriage and wedding night. Instead, Alexis had finally fallen asleep, so she placed her carefully in the crib set up in her office for just this kind of occasion. Cam was about to get Angela out of her office, when the last words Cam wanted to hear fell from Angela's lips.

"You…what?" Cam had to ask.

"Yeah, we're trying to have a baby. I'm super excited."

Cam was speechless. Having no idea what to say, she simply looked down at a sleeping AJ.

Thankfully, Booth saved her from having to say anything by bursting into the room.

"Camille," he said with that charming smile of his.

"Seeley," Cam responded.

"Don't call me Seeley."

"Don't call me Camille."

The two friends smiled at each other, and Cam felt at ease for the first time in months.

"Oh, well. I can see that I'm not needed here. Girl time is over. I'll be working on the facial reconstruction if you need me."

As soon as Angela left the room, Booth's face grew serious. Sitting down on the couch next to the crib, he let out a sigh, and looked at Cam.

"Camille, when are you going to tell me what happened?" He asked, his tone serious.

"I've told you what happened, Booth. At the hospital—"

"No, Cam. I mean the truth, the father, everything. You wouldn't tell me at the hospital, and I understand why you wouldn't tell the rest of the group, but this is me you're talking to. I know you better than to let this go. What happened?"

Sighing, Cam sat down next to Booth, elbows on her knees, head in her hands.

* * *

_Cam opened her eyes, only to snap them shut when the bright light hit them. Groaning, she tried to think of what she last remembered doing. She recalled coming home, talking to Michelle, getting juice, reading mail—Oh my god._

_Eyes flying open, Cam moved her hands to her stomach. It was still swollen, which seemed to be a good sign._

_"Cam, thank God." Turning her head towards the voice, she saw a very haggard looking Booth._

_"Booth?" Cam's voice was dry and sore. He grabbed a cup of water from the bedside table, and handed it to her, turning the straw towards her. After taking a sip, Cam took a deep breath._

_"What are you doing here, Booth?"_

_"What am I doing here?" Booth asked incredulously._

"_Yes, you're supposed to be in Afghanistan."_

"_My friend, who neglected to tell me that she was pregnant, landed herself in the hospital after having severe stomach pains. Apparently, she went into early labor."_

_"Oh my God. I—"_

_Before Cam started to really freak out, Booth did his best to calm her down._

_"Camille," He got her to look at him, "The baby is fine. The doctors stopped the labor. Now, you need to tell me how all of this happened. The baby, the stress, everything."_

_Before Cam could answer, Michelle knocked lightly on the doorway._

_"Cam?" The teenager sounded scared._

_"Michelle…Thank you. I'm…" Cam's voice broke._

_"Don't worry about it, k? I heard you call my name and a crash and I sorta panicked. When I cam in to the kitchen, you were on the floor…and so was a broken glass with presumably orange juice in it. When you didn't wake up, I got scared. So I called 911, and then I called Booth. Somehow, he got here like twenty-four hours later. Apparently, when you fainted, you hit your head. So you've been out for about two days…"_

_"Oh, Michelle. I'm so sorry. I've been stressed lately and—"_

_"Oh, it's ok. I understand. I found the letter."_

_"What letter?" Of course, Booth chose that exact moment to pipe up._

_"Yeah, he sent her a letter. It said that—"_

_"It's not important." Cam cut her off, not wanting Seeley to know, at least not yet._

_"The hell it's not. It sent you into premature labor. You're too stressed, Cam. You don't take care of yourself well enough."_

_"Seeley, I'm fine," Cam took in a deep breath. "Ok. No. I'm not fine, but I will be. I appreciate you flying halfway across the world to make sure I'm ok. I really do. But right now, what I need is for you to stop hovering and stop worrying about me. Just don't let anyone else know. Please. Just...keep this between us."_

_"Camille, you're pregnant. The father clearly isn't around. Now, tell me what's going on. Please."_

_"No," was all Cam before doctors and nurses came running in to check on the now awake patient._

_Booth looked to Michelle, but it as clear the teenager wouldn't give him any information._

* * *

"After you left, Michelle and I had a talk. School was about to start, so I asked her about going to boarding school, so she wouldn't have to deal with all the screaming and the crying for the first year."

"So you've been handling all of this by yourself? Cam, that's not good."

"I know, Booth. I have a sitter. She was just sick today. I rarely bring AJ in to work with me. Caroline has been a big help, actually."

"I noticed."

Again, the two shared a friendly smile. They both loved people they couldn't have. In that moment, the comfortable silence was healing enough.

"You've gotta tell me who the father is, Cam." He said just above a whisper.

Cam looked up at Booth with tears in her eyes.

"It's Hodgins…"

* * *

**Hope it was the opposite of dissapointing! Um. Review please? :]**


	4. Chapter 4

****

**Author's Note: Parts of this chapter wrote themselves. Other parts refused to be written. But, in the end, we got it all done.**

I am insanely proud of the last little scene. You should love it as much as I do. Hopefully.

**A big thanks to Mollie, who listens to my incessant ramblings about all things Bones. Also, she may not want to be credited, but she deserves it. I may not always understand Booth, Sweets, or Hodgins, but she does.**

**I do not own Bones, Hart Hanson does. Clearly.**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

"It's Hodgins…" Cam whispered quietly.

"Uh…The bug guy?" Booth asked, dumbly.

Nodding, Cam sighed.

"Does…he, uh, know?"

"I haven't told him. Michelle hasn't seen him. So, assuming, you know how to keep a secret, no. He doesn't know."

"Right. He went to Paris with Angela. He wouldn't have done that if he'd known."

"I disagree." Cam stated, getting up and rooting through some files on her desk.

"Cam. Hodgins isn't the kind of guy to slack his duties like that. He—"

"He got married in Paris, Booth. He and Angela. They're trying to have a baby. So no, I don't think he would've stayed if he'd known."

"You know," Booth started jokingly. "I'm pretty sure I have an old baseball bat lying around. If anything, I've always found that hockey sticks are helpful in a sports brawl. I could take a walk one night and..."

"No, Seeley," Cam reassured him. "That's not necessary."

"Booth?" Dr. Brennan's voice saved Cam from having to respond to Booth's outburst.

"Yeah, Bones?"

"Aren't we going to go roast the parents?"

"Grill, Bones," Booth sighed, looking pointedly at Cam. "We grill the suspects."

As Booth walked out, Cam went to stand next to the crib, watching her baby girl sleep peacefully. At least one of them gets to sleep properly, Cam thought.

Almost as soon as Booth and Dr. Brennan walked out, Angela walked into her office. Clearly, Cam was not meant have breathing time today.

"Hey Cam, Hodgins found some particulates, and I have a facial reconstruction for you."

"Ok, on my way." Cam sighed, turning on the baby monitors and grabbing one as Angela walked towards her own office.

Walking into Angela's office, Cam stopped short. Unable to breath, she simply stared at the sight before her. The giant computer in Angela's office had nothing unusual displayed, unlike the time the office was transformed to an aquarium.

Instead, it was what her two employees were doing. Angela, her back flat against the wall, had her eyes closed in pleasure and her hands being held above her head. Hodgins, the man holding her in that compromising position, had his lips suctioned to Angela's neck.

Not sure of exactly what to say, Cam simply cleared her throat.

"I see we're back to this again. Although, it seems you've gone more public than the storage room nowadays."

Startled, Hodgins let go of Angela so quickly she almost fell.

"I..uh. See. We were just. Um" For once in his life, it seems Hodgins was at a loss for words.

"No," Cam stopped him, holding her hand up. "I understand. You're newlyweds. I would just appreciate it if…this didn't happen while my baby was in the building. She's going to be scarred enough as it is working with Booth and Dr. Brennan." Cam had tried to joke her way out of the awkward situation.

"Yeah, well. It's just that. It seems as if. I mean. We were only waiting for you. And I got bored. And you how it is when I get mischievous. And—"

"Hodgins!" Angela, thankfully, cut him off.

"You said you had something for me?"

"Yeah, I'll go first, since apparently Hodgins got all shy being back in the states." Angela grabbed her remote and pulled up the facial reconstruction of the remains.

"Now this is what the kid looks like at time of death. Now, if I age him about 10 years. This is what he would look like."

"This kid is…very clearly of Hispanic decent. The missing kid is supposed to be of European decent."

"I can run it through the facial recognition database, but I'm not sure if anything will come up. I mean, Bren always says that children look like they're fathers at birth, but then grow to look more like the mother over time."

"Did Alexis look like her father when she was born?" Hodgins asked, trying to be nonchalant. Cam, however, could hear the bitterness in the words.

"Y…yes. Yes. She did," Cam stuttered. Spitting image of you, in fact, only with darker skin, but Cam wasn't about to tell them that.

"Aw! Cam, I'm so sorry the father isn't around. That must be so hard on you." Angela tried to comfort her.

"Oh, no. It's ok. You know me, Cat Woman. I tend to work alone." Cam, again, tried a joke to lighten the situation.

"I'm sure he's proud, though, right? The father."

"Hodgins, maybe you should explain the particulates—" Angela tried to stop them.

"He doesn't know. I never told him. In fact, he simply left," Cam cut her off. Angela started to speak, but Cam kept going. "No, I'm fine. These things happen."

"These things don't happen, Cam. Maybe if you'd have told him, he would've stayed. Maybe he had a good reason to go."

"It was made very clear to me that he wouldn't have cared if I had told him. I am done speaking of this. I realize that Alexis is here today, but that rarely happens. I would appreciate it if you could keep my personal life out of your conversations. It's not a very productive use of your time."

Cam's voice shook. This whole day had not gone according to plan. The fact that she had a baby was supposed to ease into lab-life. Now, it was full frontal.

"I'm sorry," Cam said after hearing an intern call her name. She turned around and walked towards the door, "I have to go."

* * *

_Cam woke up feeling like she'd just gone eight rounds with Mike Tyson, which was all in all not a pleasant feeling. Groaning, she rolled over, only to realize that her back was against something solid and warm._

_Freezing, Cam's breath hitched. There was very clearly a man her bed. Why? _We all went out to celebrate last night. I had some whiskey sours. I got in a cab with…_Cam's thought stopped when she felt a soft kiss drop on her shoulder._

_"Good morning, baby," another kiss. "How'd you sleep?"_

_"Hodgins…" Cam sighed, finishing her interrupted thought out loud._

_"Cam…?" Hodgins mimicked her with question in his voice._

_Cam panicked, realizing the full extent of their situation. Wrapping the sheet around her, she stood up and went about finding her clothes._

_"What are you doing?" Hodgins asked. There was a hint of amusement in his voice._

_"I think it's very clear what I'm doing, Dr. Hodgins."_

_"So…we're back to that? You called me Jack last night." The look in his eyes told Cam all she needed to know._

_The night before came crashing back to Cam. Everyone but Dr. Brennan and Booth had gone out to celebrate. Cam didn't remember drinking that much. Only three or four whiskey sours tops. When it came to getting a cab, they had separated by sides of town. Which meant Angela, Sweets, and Daisy went in one cab, and she and Hodgins went in another. She remembered chatting casually with Hodgins, even flirting a little. It was Hodgins, she kept thinking. What kind of trouble could she get into? On the cab ride, they'd talked about the case, the possibility of soul mates, the interviewer who had followed Brennan around all day, and…_**Oh God**_, she thought. _**They'd talked about page 187**_._

_And, from the soreness she was currently feeling, they must have…performed page 187._

_"Yes. We're back to that now, Dr. Hodgins." Cam slammed her walls up._

_Getting up off the bed, Hodgins was standing in front of her and backing her up against the wall before she had time to respond. Grabbing her wrists and raising them above her head, they let the sheet drop. Pressed so closely together, there was nothing hiding Hodgins' arousal as he pressed his lips to her neck._

_In between kisses, he spoke to her, "I kinda like you calling me Jack, Camille. It was nice to see you let loose. Now, we have work today, but I'm pretty sure our fearless leaders will be out of the lab all day. We could call in sick, or—"_

_"Dr. Hodgins," Cam stated harshly, breaking free of his grasp and slipping away from him. She grabbed her clothes from the floor, entered the master bathroom, and slammed the door shut. For a reason Cam wasn't quite certain of, she had to fight tears from falling as she got dressed in yesterday's wrinkled clothes._

_Coming out of the bathroom, she kept her eyes down, lifting them only slightly to find her purse._

_"Cam?" Hodgins asked quietly. "Cam…we made love last night. Now you won't even look at me…"_

_He sounded…broken. Cam was glad she kept her eyes to the floor because tears were coming faster than she could push them away. She knew he was right. They had made love, but she wasn't ready for that…not yet. Not with him._

_"It was a one night stand, Dr. Hodgins."_

_"Don't give me that bullshit, Camille. You know good and well what happened last night, and twice this morning before we slept, was anything by a one night stand."_

_"Believe what you want, but it wouldn't be a productive use of your time to dwell on it. Our fearless leaders, as you so put it, may not be in today, but I am your boss and I will be. Be at work."_

_With that, Cam exited the bed room, walked down the hall, down the stairs, and out the door. She stopped only when she heard the front door open behind her and Hodgin's call her name. Looking back, she saw he was holding her purse. Walking back and taking it from him, she still refused to meet his eyes._

_"Camille, please. Stay. Please listen to me."_

_"I'm sorry. I have to go."_

* * *

About five steps away from crying, Cam rushed towards her office, praying she'd get there before she completely broke down. She made it just inside her door before a sob broke.

Booth cleared his throat, not wanting to upset Cam even more or let the others know what he knew.

Looking up, Cam let out another sob. She hadn't realized that Dr. Brennan, Booth, and Sweets would all be in her office to talk about the case. Despite the fact that they were her friends, she didn't like crying in front of people. Apparently, today was one giant list of things Cam didn't like doing.

"Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan, could you leave us alone for a few minutes? I would like to talk to Dr. Saroyan alone, if you don't mind."

"Uh…yeah. Sure. Come on, Bones," Booth ushered his partner out the office door.

"I don't understand, Booth," Bones whispered as they turned to leave.

"Don't worry about it, Bones,"

"But Booth…" Cam and Sweets didn't here the end of their conversation. The two partners and finally walked out, leaving Cam and Sweets alone.

"Dr. Sweets, I know that you mean well, but I'm really not in the mood to talk."

"What happened when we all left, Cam?"

She stayed silent.

"Who's baby's father?"

Again, Cam stayed silent.

"Ok. How is Michelle doing?" Sweets surprised her with his question.

"She's doing well, "Cam answered hesitantly. "She went to boarding school this year. We thought it would be best so she wouldn't be around when…when things started the change."

Alexis, true to form, chose that moment to wake up with a cry.

"Oh!" Cam spoke, upset with Sweets for making her talk, and upset with Alexis for choosing the worst possible moment to wake up.

"It's ok, Dr. Saroyan, I understand. You have very different priorities now than you did when the team left."

"Yes, I do, Dr. Sweets." Cam stared the young psychologist down as she grabbed a bottle from her desk, and fed a very hungry Alexis.

"She's adorable." Sweets commented, trying to get Cam to talk to him.

"Yeah..she is," Cam marveled, staring into her daughters eyes.

"How old is she?"

"Almost two months."

"Two months?" Sweets confirmed, beginning to do the math in his head. "Wow."

Cam looked at Sweets with speculation.

"Wow, what?" She challenged him.

"I'm trying to get some answers without blatantly asking you because you asked me not to." Sweets said blatantly.

"Dr. Sweets, I—"

"What happened, Cam?" Sweets tried again. "Who is the baby's father?"

Once again, Cam's walls shot up, cutting Sweets off from knowing anything.

"Ok, Dr. Saroyan. I get it. You're very clearly not going to talk right now. But you will need to soon, because this baby is affecting the performance of the lab. Cam, you are the leader of this team. You're the glue that keeps them focused. That means that you need to stay focused on the case to keep them in line. Don't let the team you helped build fall apart around you. They need you and they don't even know it, don't let them down."

With that, Sweets was gone, leaving Cam, and Alexis, alone in her office.

* * *

_The gravedigger trial was taking its toll on Cam's employees, and as much as she wouldn't normally admit it. The trial was taking its toll on her. She should be able to protect the lab. These are her people, her friends. She should be able to do something about it. Lately, she'd been so emotional she didn't know how to handle anything. She'd snapped at Michelle several times. Everything seemed just off kilter._

_It had felt good to tell Sweets what was going on, though she wouldn't want to admit it to anyone. She felt…out of control. And it wasn't helping at all._

_Leaving Sweets' office, Cam made it out of the FBI building and just inside the doors of the Jeffersonian before small tears started to fall. My period must be coming, she thought. Other than stress, that's the only explanation as to why I'm so emotional._

_Lost in her thoughts, Cam practically ran into Hodgins, who was making his way out of the Jeffersonian._

_"Cam?" Hodgins asked quietly._

_Looking up into his kind blue eyes, Cam felt like crying even more than she already did._

_"Cam?" he asked again. "Are you alright? Did something happen?"_

_"Yes, I'm fine," Cam assured him, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Nothing happened. The case is just affecting me more than I anticipated."_

_"Yeah…You and me both." Hodgins agreed. A silence fell between them that made them both uncomfortable._

_"Listen, Cam…Um. About that night…and the morning that followed for that matter, I just…um…" Hodgins trailed off. Cam managed a watery smile._

_"Dr. Hodgins. We're friends and colleagues, nothing more." Cam finished, hopefully._

_"Yeah…We're friends…" Hodgins whispered. They both turned away. After a few steps, Cam looked back, wondering why she felt so sad._

* * *

By the time she arrived home that night, Cam was exhausted. She set Alexis on the floor on a blanket, and set her play thing above her so she could play while Cam relaxed. Wishing this day would end, but knowing sleep wouldn't come any time soon, Cam looked in the fridge for something to eat.

A knock on the door startled her. Closing the fridge, she made her way to the door and opened it, surprised at what she saw.

"Dr. Brennan?" Cam inquired, thoroughly confused by what she saw.

Dr. Temperance Brennan was standing on her doorstep holding a bottle on tequila in one hand and two half-gallon containers of ice cream in a grocery bag in another. Looking awkward, Brennan smiled hesitantly and wiggled her hands enticingly.

"Um…Come in," Cam said, opening the door fully.

Brennan came in, only to stop halfway between the door and where Alexis lay on the floor. Turning to face Cam, she spoke rapidly.

"Anthropologically speaking, women comfort each other in times of turmoil. You seemed distressed earlier, and when I mentioned it to Booth, he suggested I engage with you in a 'girl's night'. Normally, this is something Angela would do because she's must better at this than I am, but considering that she is married to the father of your child, that would be unwise. So, here I am to comfort you. I prefer tequila, but I have gathered tat ice cream is quite popular for things like this."

Dr. Brennan's speech left Cam speechless.

"He…Booth told you?" Cam asked, finally finding her voice.

"On the contrary, when I asked him, he refused to tell me. In actuality, I simply surmised that it was Hodgins. The two of you were very awkward before we left for a year, and Alexis looks very much like Hodgins. The skin tone and hair obviously take after you, but his facial structure is very prominent in her face."

"You could tell all of that? Even that we were awkward, Dr. Brennan? I'm impressed."

"Yes. It's my job, but the awkwardness I learned from Booth. Booth has taught me quite a lot."

There was a comfortable silence between the two colleagues. Cam was so touched by Dr. Brennan's perceptiveness. Despite their initial friction, Cam and Dr. Brennan had apparently become friends…of some sort.

"So…" Cam started, moving towards the couch. "You said you brought ice cream?"

* * *

**So. You should show your appreciation via that wonderful review button. I'm hoping to get at least 1 more chapter out before I leave on Sunday for vacation.**

**Review, and I just might update faster.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: This chapter has taken me all week. Hopefully, it was completely and totally worth it.**

**This is a little different from my other chapters, as there is a change in point of view. The first part follows Hodgins. At the end, we get back to Cam.****...Not as confusing as it sounds. Promise.**

**Once again, thanks to Mollie. You help me out more than you know. Even when we bicker.**

**Shameless plug: Go read my new one-shot, Tequila. It's fantabulisticulous.**

**I'm going on vacation this week, but I should be able to do some writing. [I already have it half started in my head.] I will [hopefully] update next weekend.**

**I don't own Bones. Hart Hanson does.**

* * *

Chapter 5

"So," Angela started with a smile, "Are you ready to get back into the swing of things?"

"Yeah, of course. I can't wait." Dr. Jack Hodgins lied. For once in his life, he did not want to be at the lab. He was not particularly happy about being back in the states, let alone in DC with all the people he ran from… more precisely, the person he ran from.

When he and Angela had walked into the lab, only Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth were there, laughing and catching up. To the two partners, it was almost as if nothing had changed. Upon seeing each other, the two females had immediately hugged, and began to talk a mile a minute.

"Hey big man, how was everything?" he attempted small talk with Booth.

"Ah, you know. A lot of paper work. How was Paris?

"Oh, a lot of sightseeing," Hodgins said, giving Booth a look that said the sightseeing wasn't of Paris. Making small talk with Booth, he couldn't help but wonder where Cam was and why she was late. She always came in to work at the same time every morning.

Thinking the worst, Hodgins' mind started playing the scenarios in his head. _She was in trouble. She'd been kidnapped. That's why we were all called back. Or...She'd been killed._

All speculations died, however, when Cam walked into the lab. Silence filled the room. With no idea what to do or say, Hodgins simply looked to the Angela, as if looking for a way out. Luckily, Dr. Brennan took care of everyone's fears.

"Cam, why do you have a baby?"

Even Dr. Brennan's straight forward manner couldn't break the tension quickly finding its way into Hodgins' body. _Yeah, Cam. Why do you have a baby? _He thought_._ But even he could clearly see that the baby was hers. Her body had filled out a little. She wasn't large, by any means, but her hips were just a little bit wider, her breasts just a little bit fuller.

"Jeez, Bones. You don't just ask someone that." Booth reprimanded her. Hodgin's prayed it would work in quieting her.

"Booth, it could be another case where the parents were killed, but the baby was found and we have to take custody."

"Bones. Come on. Look at that baby. She looks—"

"Exactly like Cam." Booth and Angela said at the same time.

"_Exactly like Cam" would not have been the phrase I would've used_…Hodgins told himself.

Still silent, Hodgins had forgotten Angela was there. _Angela would get excited about a baby, _Hodgins thought_. I want to be excited, but the thought of Cam with someone else…_

"Cam! How come you didn't tell us!" Angela squealed, "You should've called us or something. Oh my God, she's adorable. What's her name?"

"Alexis…um. Alexis Jaiden." Cam stuttered.

_Alexis Jaiden_, Hodgins thought_. A beautiful name_, perfect for the baby girl laying in the carrier Cam was expertly holding.

"God, the skin and those eyes! Those are damn good genes, sweetie." Angela noticed.

_Well, look at her mother, of course the baby has good genes._

"Can I hold her?" Angela then asked.

_Say no, say no, say no_, Hodgins pleaded to himself. _The last thing he wanted to see was his wife holding the baby of the woman he loved…_

"Oh, of course." Cam set the carrier down, and slowly lifted AJ out of it and into Angela's arms. Seeing the baby in Angela's arms should have done things to his insides. He should have felt all warm and fuzzy with feelings of hope for the future. Instead, however, Hodgins felt sick. His stomach was tied in knots. He could feel himself starting to sweat. _Angela shouldn't be holding her_, he couldn't help but think. Alexis was then passed to Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth. While in Booth's arms, she got fussy. When Cam moved to take her, Hodgins had to stop her.

"Can I hold her?" Hodgins asked quietly.

_Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes, _Hodgins pleaded to himself

"Oh. Um. Well. She's getting fussy. I really should feed her and then—" Cam stuttered, trying to stop him from holding the baby girl. Looking at her, Hodgins saw her walls temporarily falter. He had to admit, as often as his blue-eyed twinkle got him in trouble, he was occasionally guilty of using it to his advantage.

"Yeah, of course," Cam smiled.

Gently lifted Alexis from Booth's arms, Hodgins felt as though he had known this baby for much longer than a few minutes. After a few seconds of staring into AJ's eyes, he saw something that made his breath hitch. The baby's eyes sparkled as she smiled up at him. After fighting back tears, Hodgins looked up at Cam, trying to convey everything he was feeling in that one look.

* * *

_Hodgins walked towards the door, stopping mid-step, only to turn around and walk away. He was almost to the stairs before he finally turned around. He knew he'd already walked up to her door three times, but he was determined to go through with it this time. After quite a long time and more than a couple deep breaths, he practically ran to the door, and knocked._

_The door opened to reveal a very fatigued looking Cam. Not looking, or feeling, much better, he rushed into the apartment._

"_Hodgins? What are you doing here?" she asked._

_"Let's go, Cam," Hodgins pleaded. "Let's just get out of here. Dr. Brennan and Booth are leaving. Daisy is leaving. I'm sure everyone else will scatter. Let's go. We'll go to Paris."_

_"Jack, Dr. Brennan and Booth are running from each other. Miss Wick is leaving because she wants to be like her role model. And you don't know that everyone else will scatter."_

_He could practically hear her walls going up. He needed her to listen…"Cam, I don't care. Let's go somewhere. We'll go to Paris."_

_"Jack—"_

_"I love you, Camille." Hodgins blurted. He hadn't meant to say it, not like this anyway. He needed her to listen to him. What they'd done that night was the farthest from a one night stand he had ever witnessed or participated in._

_"Dr. Hodgins. I have a job here, as do you, might I add. I am staying here," As Cam paused, Hodgins' breath hitched in his throat. "Jack, I…We had sex, Jack. We were both a little inebriated and there was a lapse in judgment. I'm sorry that we crossed a line once, but we work together."_

_"Camille…" Hodgins' voice was quiet, his voice cracking a little. She was turning him down…_

_Quietly, Cam continued, seemingly unaware that she was breaking his heart in the course of a few minutes. "We're both adults, Jack. I'm sure we can work around that night. We've both had one night stands before."_

_Hodgins wasn't necessarily an alpha male, but he'd never considered himself a wuss. In this moment, though, he was okay with being one. He knew that look on his face said everything, and he didn't try to hide it. He was hurt, upset, angry…but most of all, he was undeniably in love with her, despite everything._

_"It wasn't a one night stand, Cam. We didn't just have sex. You and I both know that. We've been avoiding each other for weeks. When you finally decide to face the truth, you will know where to find me. You can't get rid of me that easy."_

_Turning sharply on his heels, Hodgins left. He didn't wait for her answer. He probably didn't want to hear it anyway._

_Hodgins knew that, to anyone else, he looked like a heartbroken college freshman who thought drunken sex meant more than it actually did. But he knew better, and he knew Cam knew it, too. They had been flirting and exchanging looks for months, years even. The secret smiles, the exchanged gazes, it all added up to that night._

_He left her apartment in a very different mood than when he had arrived. He was heartbroken, and he wasn't sure there was anything he could do about it._

I have to get to Paris_, Jack thought. _I have to get out, and I don't want to go alone_. He knew there was only one other person he could ask._

_A half-smile crossed his lips as he realized that his old flame would never say no to Paris._

_Taking his cell phone out of his pocket, he dialed an all too familiar number._

_The person on the other end finally picked up._

_"Angela?"_

* * *

As soon as Caroline Julian had come storming into the lab, saving them all from an awkward explosion, Angela had volunteered to help Cam with Alexis.

Hodgins hid an inward groan. That's what he needed, his wife and his…Cam having bonding time.

The baby was his, he was sure of it. The way Alexis smiled, the sparkle in the little girls eyes, it told him everything he needed to know. Alexis was a Hodgins, and if the way she calmed down in his arms was any indication, she's definitely a daddy's girl.

Even though he wasn't completely sure, he couldn't blame Cam for not telling him. Hell, he had run off to Paris and gotten married to an old flame. Still, he was hurt…

So when Angela grabbed him from his work station and led him to her office, he didn't hear the fact that Cam was coming in to get updates on the case. Instead, Hodgins had practically thrown her against the wall, holding her hands above her head, and had practically attacked her neck with his lips.

A few minutes later, Cam cleared her throat, and said something very…Cam. After practically dropping Angela like hot coals, they quickly averted the awkward situation and went on to talk about the case, or rather, the women did.

He couldn't help himself. She hadn't told him about the baby, and the sadistic part of him wanted her to suffer for it.

_You married someone else, and you think she hasn't suffered enough?_ His conscious nagged at him.

Still, he kept goading her, trying to get her walls to crack. What should have expected, but hadn't, was the counter jab she threw right back at him.

"I'm sure he's proud, though, right? The father."

"He doesn't know. I never told him. In fact, he simply left,"

_He simply left_ was the phrase that had followed Hodgins to the bar that night. _There's nothing I can do to deny it_, he thought_. I did simply leave_.

* * *

_While Paris had sounded like a good idea at the time, Hodgins was now regretting it. Who could've known that Camille would be such a popular Parisian name? Or that Dr. Brennan's new book, the one with that thing her did, would be on the bestsellers list?_

_"My God, Jack. Isn't it beautiful?" Angela asked him, staring at view from their bedroom window. The joy with which Angela loved Paris was just enough to let Hodgins let go. A little._

_"Yeah, it's gorgeous," he agreed, but he wasn't focused on the view. He was focused on the very naked woman laying beside him. Lightly running his fingers across her ribcage, He slowly licked a path from her collar bone to her ear._

_"Hodgins!" Angela half-giggled._

_By the time Angela was moaning and screaming, Hodgins' mind was anywhere but in a bed, with Angela, in Paris. Physically, it may be Angela, but in Hodgins' mind, he was making love to the woman who had broken his heart._

_Laying in the afterglow of their act, Angela had her head on Hodgins' chest._

_"Do we ever have to leave?" She sighed, running her finger through his chest hair._

_"Never," Hodgins promised. While he may not be able to promise some things, he'd do whatever he could to ensure they never went to DC again._

_"So…" Angela started, propping up beside him on her elbow. "What are we doing tomorrow?"_

_"I don't know, what do you want to do?" Hodgins grabbed her hips and placed her legs on either side of him._

_Sinking down on top of him, Angela said the last three words Hodgin's wanted to hear._

_"Let's get married."_

_To his own surprise, Hodgins agreed, letting Angela set the pace of their love-making. At least, that's what he was going to convince himself it was._

* * *

Sitting in his usual spot at the bar, Hodgins took a look long pull of his 3rd whiskey and put the glass down on a well worn coaster, welcoming the familiar burn in his throat. He was enjoying the quiet of his favorite bar when he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder squeezing a little too tightly for it to be a friendly visit. Looking up over his shoulder, he met Agent Booth's stare and knew that this was the conversation he had known would have to happen, but had been hoping it wouldn't.

"I assume you're not here to talk about sight-seeing" Hodgins quipped with a semi-sarcastic tone.

"Not so much" Booth replied, sighing, not wanting to break the smaller man's spirit, but knowing he had to. Hodgins was silent and Booth knew it was going to be up to him to start the difficult conversation.

"She's yours, but you knew that, didn't you." Booth stated, not knowing how to broach the subject slowly. "I mean, you're not exactly dim. But I know sometimes things get by you squints..." attempting to lighten the situation with a little bit of Booth-y humor.

"Yeah, I knew the moment I saw her…" Hodgins slowly admitted, "I had no idea she was even pregnant, but you knew, didn't you?"

"She didn't want me to, but Michelle called me. She had just gotten home and started having stomach pains. She called me rambling about a letter and the hospital and I had no choice but to hop a flight back." Booth rambled, trying to make Hodgins feel more comfortable about not knowing. He caught Hodgins' gaze and quickly added, "to make sure Michelle was okay. It turned out to be nothing, just too much stress. She was okay in a couple of days."

"I'm glad she has you…that you were there for her through it," Hodgins said, barely audible. "I wish I could've been here too"

"But you weren't" Booth snapped, uncontrollably. "You were in Paris with Angela. 'Sightseeing' for 7 months."

"Hey. I asked her to go with me. Did she tell you that?" Hodgins snapped back defensively, but immediately softened when he saw the look on the ex-Ranger's face. "I went to her apartment. I told her I loved her and I asked her come away with me. When she said no, I…I was wounded. I needed to get out and I couldn't go alone. I asked Angela because I knew that it was safe." Knowing immediately he'd chosen the wrong words, he quickly backpedaled. "I mean, I knew that she would love me the way I loved her. I knew that we would enjoy ourselves and that it would work out. And, it did. And I'm happy. _We_ are happy. And now…everything is different."

Booth was shocked by Hodgins' honesty. Usually, he hid behind his conspiracy theories, jokes, and science dribble. Booth was almost unable to find a way to respond to him, but he didn't have to. After a few seconds, Hodgins continued.

"I know I should've stayed. I was running away and I knew it. It was immature and spontaneous, and I lost her because of it. Part of me wishes I had stayed. But if I had, everything with Angela wouldn't have happened. I don't know which one would be better at this point." Hodgins rambled.

Booth finally had something to respond to him with. "Try telling her that. She doesn't hate you, you know."

"On some level, she must. I was terrible to her. I…I still love her."

"She wants you in your life, even though she would never admit that to anyone."

There was a comfortable silence between the two men as they both thought of the women they loved but couldn't have.

"So how 'bout that kid, eh? Just as gorgeous as her mother?" Hodgins quipped

"That little girl is going to be a handful before too long" Booth agreed, smiling.

"Yeah, and she's already got her father wrapped around her little finger, and she doesn't even know who he is yet" Hodgins attempted to joke. It didn't go over so well, and the men shared an awkward silence.

"Too soon" they both said simultaneously with smiles for the first time in the conversation.

Booth got up to leave, but right before turning away, he put his hand on Hodgins' shoulder and said awkwardly, "Look, Cam expected me to read you the riot act, so if she ever asks, tell her I chewed you out? Maybe even a couple of swings involved?"

"Of course…Hey Booth?" Hodgins shot Booth a look that was all eyes.

"Yeah. Anytime," was the thing Booth could think to say. He took a deep breath and turned out the door, leaving Hodgins sitting alone at the bar.

Suddenly, Hodgins wasn't in the mood to drink anymore. Always a man, though, he drained what was left in his glass and set some money on the bar. He took a deep breath, tapped the bar twice and turned toward the door.

When he got outside, he felt refreshed, and it wasn't from the drinks. He took a moment and looked towards the stars before he took off in the all-too-familiar direction of home.

At that moment, he knew he would make things right, and he knew he could face tomorrow. The only question in his mind right then was his little girl, and how the next day was the beginning of the rest of his life.

* * *

Cam woke up with cotton-mouth and an upset stomach. Opening her eyes, she groaned, which woke Dr. Brennan. The two women took one look at each other and couldn't help but laugh.

"Cam? You look ridiculous," Brennan stated, sitting up and bracing herself as the world spun.

"Well, Dr. Brennan, you look gorgeous too," Cam countered, uncomfortable with the fact that she had woken up next to her colleague.

"In fact, I look awful. Tequila tends to lead to a hangover."

"I didn't even drink tequila, and I feel like I've been hit by a bus."

"Yes, a sugar rush will often do that."

After Brennan had set out the ice cream and tequila, and Cam had gotten them spoons, and a glass for the drinker, the two friends had sat, talked, and even watched The Notebook, as Brennan had insisted it was a very "girl's night" thing to do. Both women had ended up crying while finishing the bulk of the ice cream. After putting a very tired Alexis to sleep, they had gone to bed exhausted, not bothering to undress. Cam wasn't entirely surprised when AJ hadn't woken up during the night. Baby girl was always perfect when others were around.

"I should go. I suppose I'll see you at the lab, Dr. Saroyan?" Brennan asked, standing and smoothing her sleep-wrinkled clothes.

"Yes, Dr. Brennan, I'll see you there." Cam followed the woman out of her bedroom and into the living room.

As her friend was about to close the door, Cam stopped her, "Dr. Brennan?"

"Yes, Cam?" she asked, opening the door again.

"Um…Thank you."

"You're welcome, Dr. Saroyan."

After sharing a look, Brennan left, closing the door behind her.

As if on cue, Alexis let out a hunger-induced wail. Groaning again, Cam turned from the door and went to get Alexis.

Taking her little girl in her arms, the baby calmed down some. Cam's brown eyes gazed down into small but vivid blue ones.

Cam now knew that there were people who cared for, who would not change their minds. As unconventional as her friends were, she was not alone.

* * *

_Keeping her eyes down, she walked into the doctor's office. She'd only found out about the baby a week ago, but it felt like much longer._

_"Name?" The prim receptionist asked, not glancing up from her computer._

_"Camille Saroyan," Cam stated with mock confidence._

_"Please have a seat, Dr. Kennedy will be right with you." Walking away to sit in the waiting room, Cam cringed. Not only was she having Hodgins' baby, but her OBGYN was named Kennedy. The irony._

_After pretending to flip through a few old magazine, and more than a couple glances at the clock, a nurse came out, calling Cam's name._

_"Ah, right here," Cam replied, gathering her purse and jacket and flowing the young woman to a small room. _

"_Are you ready for the ultrasound, Miss Saroyan?" The nurse asked._

"_Please, call me Cam." She insisted, closing the examination room door behind her. The nurse then instructed her to lay down, and lift her shirt to up under her bra, exposing her stomach._

_When the nurse squeezed the cold jelly onto her stomach, Cam winced at the unfamiliar sensation. Moving the wand around Cam's stomach, the nurse explained what would be happening in the coming months of pregnancy._

_"…And this," the nurse moved the wand over a specific part of stomach while pointing to the screen with the other hand, "is the fetus."_

_Cam looked up at the screen seeing nothing but a small blob. The whole being pregnant thing had hit her the moment Hodgins' had walked out of her apartment. _Doesn't make it any less overwhelming, though_, Cam thought._

_After the nurse had cleaned off her stomach, Cam was allowed to sit up and redress herself. The doctor came in and only re-explained everything the nurse had said. He recommended a brand of pre-natal vitamins, and reminded her to schedule another appointment soon so they could do the full-body exam._

_As she walked out of the examination room, the nurse politely told her, and her husband, congratulations on the new life._

_Cam barely held it together while making another appointment at the reception desk. Leaving the building, she got in but didn't even try to start her car. Crying, she simply slumped against the steering wheel._

_She didn't have a husband to share the news with. Her best friend was in Afghanistan, and the father of her baby was in Paris. For the first time since she walked out of Hodgins' house, Cam felt alone._

* * *

Assuming the babysitter was still sick, Cam didn't even try to call the girl. Instead, she made sure Alexis was dressed and content, playing on the floor in the living room, the baby monitor right beside her. Taking the other monitor into the bathroom, Cam took a quick shower and got ready for what was sure to be another long day.

* * *

**Like it? REVIEW. 3 =]**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much I do. I got it out much earlier than I thought. So...you have to like it. :]**

**As much as she doesn't think she needs credit? She does. Thank you Mollie, for helping me think in Boy. And keeping me sane when the outside infiltrates my safe place.**

**Today's chapter was brought to you by: Straight Tequila Night by John Anderson, She Won't Be Lonely Long by Clay Walker, and She is Love by Parachute.**

****

**Disclaimer: The usual. Hart Hanson owns it. Not me.**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Cam walked into the lab, complete with Alexis in her carrier, a baby bag, and a briefcase, only to stop so short that she had to take a step back to regain her balance. The lab, her chic silver lab, was decorated from floor to ceiling in…purple?

Balloons in every shade adorned anything that allowed a tie. The examination table, much to Dr. Brennan's chagrin she was sure, was piled high with gift bags and boxes of every color. Ribbon hung from the rafters and her team…Cam looked up.

The forensic team of the Jeffersonian Institution was hanging a bright purple banner with yellow lettering. Dr. Brennan and Sweets were standing on the second level, holding the banner in place, while Booth and Hodgins tied it to the railing. Angela, her back to Cam, stood watching her colleagues to make sure the banner was straight.

Cam cleared her throat, "Guys?"

Everyone turned to look at her at once.

"Cam! You're not supposed to be here yet! Oh, damn. Well, secret's out I guess. This," Angela indicated the decorated lab, "is your baby shower."

Tearing up, Cam gently set her bags and the carrier down and gently lifted Alexis into her arms.

"You all did this for us?" Cam could barely speak through the tears.

"Yes. We did," Dr. Brennan answered. "In fact, it was Hodgins' idea. We all chipped in."

Cam noticed her friends all coming down to meet her, but her eyes were locked on Hodgins.

_He did this for you_…She reminded herself.

Finally dragging her eyes away from the kind, beautiful man, she, for the first time, noticed what the banner actually said.

"Welcome to the lab, Alexis. We come in Peace."

* * *

_Several hours after Alexis was born, Cam lay exhausted, barely able to keep her eyes open._

_It seemed as thought she had just gone to sleep, when the nurse had entered, informing her of a visitor._

_"Camille?" a male voice called from the doorway._

_Turning her head, she half-opened sleepy eyes to see a familiar face._

_"Jarhead," Cam smiled. In her friend's arms was a mylar balloon on a stick and a small brown teddy bear._

_While Jared sat in the chair by her bed, Cam attempted to sit up._

_"No, lay back down. You just had a baby, Cam," he stopped her from pushing herself up. "Besides, I kinda like you like this. All tired and hot, laying on your back."_

_"Jared!" Cam reprimanded him with all the energy she could muster._

_"Relax, I passed that torch a long time ago. Besides, I'm a married man now."_

_"Wow, Jarhead. Commitment. I'm impressed."_

_"Yeah, we just went down to the court house. We were going to have a real wedding, but Seeley left. And Padme doesn't have much family."_

_"Well, the father of my baby left, so I didn't get a baby shower. And my best friend is off fighting someone else's war in Afghanistan."_

_"Hey. I've got a balloon and a teddy bear. There's your baby shower. I bet even Seeley couldn't have thrown something this great."_

_"Well, I've got some Jello and we'll have a double celebration," She raised her Jello cup in a toast. "Happy wedding party, Jared."_

_"Happy baby shower, Cam."_

* * *

When Cam's breath finally caught up to her, she quickly Alexis to one arm, and proceeded to hug everyone. Starting with Angela, she went to Sweets, who was slightly awkward, then Dr. Brennan, who she thanked again for the girls night. Standing in front of Booth, she simply smiled and he took her in a bear hug, careful not to squish Alexis between them.

Making her way back around the circle to Hodgins, she hesitated for a moment, realizing that she was crying. After quickly swiping tears away with her free hand, she embraced Hodgins, sure to keep more space between them than need be.

"Thank you, Jack," She whispered in his ear.

"Cam…" he responded, his feelings evident despite his whispered tone.

"Thank you all, so much," Cam said after pulling away.

"Oh! Cam, it was our pleasure. Now, presents then cake. Everyone wrapped their own presents. Well, except for Hodgins. He's an awful gift wrapper. And I even got champagne for those who are able." Angela explained excitedly.

Pushing Cam up onto the platform, Angela instructed her where to sit and brought the carrier up to sit Alexis in while gifts were unwrapped. Everyone sat in a circle around the table as she was handed gift after gift. Dr. Brennan had gotten Alexis a small jumper, made to look like a Jeffersonian lab coat, and a cardboard book about anatomy, both bones and flesh included. Sweets' gift consisted of five free coupons to just walk into his office, with no complaining from him, and a book on raising little girls.

Angela had painted a beautiful picture of Cam and Alexis. She had painted Cam simply sitting in a rocking chair holding Alexis, yet somehow, it was the most beautiful painting she'd ever seen.

When she lifted up a gift wrapped in newspaper, she immediately looked to Booth with a raised eyebrow. "I'm assuming this one is yours?"

"What? Hodgins only told us about it yesterday. I don't have any wrapping paper…" Booth quickly explained.

Cam unwrapped the box and opened it to find a small stuffed multicolored elephant, and a pair of baby-sized multicolored socks.

"Oh…Booth," Cam started.

"It's a heffalump. From Winnie the Pooh. I saw it in the store and thought…you know. And well, the socks…" Booth, again, tried, lamely, to explain himself.

"Booth. I love it. Thank you."

There was one last gift, wrapped perfectly in lavender-colored paper.

"Oh, this one is from Hodgins, but I wrapped it, of course." Angela told everyone, handing the gift to Cam.

Gently, she unwrapped the purple paper and opened the box. Nestled inside was a small, plush, golden star. She looked at Hodgins with questioning eyes.

"I…uh. I named a star for her. There is now a star out there named Alexis Jaiden. I put the certificate and map in your office already," Hodgins refused to meet her eyes.

Cam was speechless.

"Wow, Hodgins! That's so cool," Booth exclaimed, launching into a big discussion with the scientist about how cool stars were.

As if knowing that the gifts had all been opened at it was time for celebratory cake, Alexis started getting fussy and crying. Picking AJ up out of the carrier and grabbing a bottle from the baby bag, Cam excused herself to her office with cover of getting a spit towel.

In reality, Cam felt like crying. Not only had her friends thrown her a baby shower, but it had been Hodgins' idea. On top of that, he had bought Alexis a star. _A Star. It was insane, it was over-the-top, it was…so Hodgins_, Cam thought.

Growing tired of the amount tears she's shed lately, Cam angrily swiped tears away, and proceeded to feed Alexis. Looking into the baby girl's blue eyes, she felt…whole. This little girl had done more for her in eleven months than most people had in years.

"Cam?"

* * *

_"Cam?"_

_She looked up from her paperwork to find Hodgins leaning against the doorjamb._

_"Hey, Hodgins. Whatcha need?"_

_"We're all heading out for drinks. And by all, I mean me, Daisy, Sweets, and Angela. If you wanna join us."_

_"Booth and Dr. Brennan aren't going?" Cam inquired._

_"Nah, they're doing their own thing," Hodgins jested._

_They shared a smile._

_"I'll go on two conditions," Cam flirted, feeling daring. "One, you buy me a drink as an apology for running into me today. And two, you explain why page 187 caused such a big uproar in my lab today."_

_"I might tell you," Hodgins responded with a twinkle in his eyes. "After I get that drink in you."_

_Both of them smiling, Hodgins left the lab, leaving Cam to finish her work._

_After finishing her paperwork and cleaning up, she headed to her car. Opening the door and climbing in, she started it and headed to the bar. _

_Upon entering the bar, Cam noticed Hodgins comfortably talking to a hot blonde at a table by the window. A twinge of jealousy hit her unexpectedly._

Nope, do not get attached, Cam. You're just colleagues and you're just flirting,_ Cam scolded herself._

_Angela was chatting up a tall-dark-and-handsome on one side of the bar, and Daisy and Sweets were…making out in a corner booth. Of course._

_Making another sweep of the room with her eyes, Cam noticed that Hodgins had left the leggy blonde woman, and was making his way towards her, a smile on his face._

_"M'lady," he murmured in her ear, placing a hand on the small of her back, and leading her towards the bar. "Another beer, and a whiskey sour," he ordered._

_"Ordering my drinks now, hm?" Cam wondered how he could know what she wanted._

_"I pay attention. Besides, I promised I'd buy you a drink." His voice said that is was no big deal, but the look in his eyes twinkling back at her told Cam that it was about more than a simple drink._

_"Listen, if you making any progress with that blonde feel free to leave me be. I'm a big girl. I don't need a babysitter," Cam tried to joke._

_"What blonde?" Hodgins asked incredulously._

_"The gorgeous one who was all over you when I walked in." Cam explained sheepishly._

_"Oh, her? Didn't notice." Hodgins waved the subject away as the bartender approached with their drinks._

_"Besides," he whispered in her ear, "You definitely don't need a babysitter."_

_Cam's eyes went wide as the bartender set their drinks down in front of them, but managed a smile and a nod._

_Sitting down next to her at the bar, she noticed that he had yet to remove his hand from her back. Instead of her lower back, his hand was now on the back of the chair, his fingers playing along the place on her upper back where dress met skin._

_"So," Cam started casually, taking a sip of her drink. "I thought this was a group thing?"_

_"It was, until Angela got whisked away by some guy, and Sweets and Daisy…" Hodgins shrugged, trailing off._

_"Are Sweets and Daisy?" Cam finished for him, laughing._

_Hodgins looked at her with a slight smile, his blue eyes twinkling. _

_"So, we'll just have to celebrate without them," he said, raising his bottle._

_"To the end of another case," Cam toasted, raising her glass to his._

_"To friends who have other lives," Hodgins joked, and they toasted again._

_"To you telling me what page 187 is," Cam countered, finishing her drink._

_Hodgins raised his hand, signaling the bartender that they'd like another round, and the toasts, laughing, and storytelling continued._

_A drink later, or maybe two, Cam was just shy of needing assistance walking. She was sober enough to know better than to flirt with her colleague beyond the occasional comment, and was just drunk enough to be doing it anyway. She sat a little too close to him, and was listening a little too intently to his story._

_"…And it was my thing that I do. It's my thing. No one else does that," he finished his story and took a long pull of his beer._

_"Your thing, hm?" Cam asked him, a smirk on her face. She finished her drink, hyperaware of his eyes on her movements._

_Knowing any more drinks would only end badly, Cam placed her empty glass down on the bar, and attempted to stand up, only to waver a little bit when her feet hit the ground. Reaching an arm out to steady her, Hodgins got off his barstool and took out his wallet._

_Cam opened her purse and began to root through it, but Hodgins stopped her._

_"Don't worry about it. I got it," he said, placing his money next to the empty glasses._

_"I'll pay you back. I just…drank a little too much," Cam explained her clumsiness._

_"Cam, it's ok. I don't mind," Hodgins assured her as Angela, Sweets, and Daisy saw them getting ready to go and joined them._

_Walking out of the bar, they hailed two cabs. Cam and Hodgins got in one, as they lived on the same side of town, and the other three went in another cab._

_After instructing the cab driver where her house is, Cam sat back against the seat, feeling ridiculous._

_"I don't usually drink this much," she explained, worried what Hodgins was thinking._

_"Nah, I know," he accepted. He wasn't saying much, but his eyes had been on her the whole night. "It was nice to see you let loose a little."_

_"Why'd you only have beer?" Cam asked, wondering why he wasn't nearly as inebriated._

_"Because," He smiled as the cab pulled in front of her house. "I thought you might need some help."_

_Cam's insides melted at the combination of his words and the look in his eyes. As she was getting out of the car, he insisted on walking her to her door and told the cab driver to wait. She had her keys out of her purse, and was about to unlock her door when she turned around._

_Not knowing he was so close behind her, she turned and nearly ran into him. Their chests were almost touching, and Cam could see the sparkle in his eye more clearly now more than ever._

_"Thank you…for the drinks." She barely got out._

_"Hey, it was in your stipulations. That, and page 187. Or rather, the explanation of page 187…" The slip of his tongue didn't go unnoticed to Cam._

_"Yeah…" Cam was sure she had something to say but couldn't remember it. Instead, all she could think about was how close together they were actually standing._

_"Cam?" Hodgins whispered, inching ever closer, their chests now touching._

_"Yeah…" She responded breathlessly._

_He gave her no warning before pressed his lips to hers, placing one hand one her hip, the other on her cheek._

_Oh…wow, Cam thought. The man could kiss…_

_Soon, the kiss escalated and they were pressed tightly together, probably giving the cabdriver and the neighbors quite a show._

_Pulling away to catch their breath, Hodgins gauged her reaction, unsure if he had crossed a line or not._

_"Um…" Cam started. "Michelle is inside…"_

_"Ok…" Hodgins responded, not sure as to what to say. "I guess, I'll see you tomorrow, then."_

_Turning and walking back towards the cab, Hodgins was mentally cursing herself when he heard Cam call him back._

_"Jack!" She stopped him, already blaming what she was about to say next on the whiskey._

_"Yeah?" He asked, hoping he didn't sound too…hopeful._

_"I have a third stipulation," she said, walking towards him._

_"And that would be?"_

_Standing right in front of him, she leaned in to whisper in his ear._

_"You have to show me."_

_Stunned, Hodgins followed Cam as she went the rest of the way to the car and climbed in._

_After giving the cab driver his address, Hodgins was kissing her before the car was moving again. _

* * *

"Cam?"

She looked up, surprised to see Hodgins standing there. Panicking, she was suddenly relieved to be feeding Alexis so her hands would have something to do.

"Ye..Yes?" Cam cursed herself for being nervous. This was not the first time she and her colleague had been alone together.

It was, however, the first time since he'd left.

"I...um…I got something else. It's…for Alexis…." he stuttered, handing her a medium sized box.

Cam looked at him, "I can't really…" She said, gesturing to an almost asleep Alexis.

"Oh, right. Here, I got her," Hodgins didn't hesitate in setting the gift down and gently lifting Alexis out of her arms.

Cam's breath hitched as she realized how naturally they both dealt their baby girl. Stunned, she stared into Hodgins' eyes. As he stared back, Cam could see the near-panicked look in his eyes. Probably afraid you'll kick him out, she thought to herself.

"Thanks…" Cam said awkwardly, picking up the gift and unwrapping it.

Keeping Hodgins and Alexis in her sights, she opened the box and pulled a soft, pale yellow blanket from it. She unfolded the child-sized blanket and noticed that there was some thing sewn into one corner.

_AJS_

"Oh…Jack," she said before she was able to stop herself. "You shouldn't have gotten this and the star too. That's too much to—"

"Don't worry about it," he cut her off.

When Cam finally looked up from the blanket, she saw that Alexis had finished her bottle and burped, and was now enthralled with Hodgins. He would blow lightly in her face, and she would giggle and make an attempt at what looked like clapping her hands.

Cam's heart constricted in her chest. Alexis was already in love with her father. She had Hodgins wrapped around her tiny little finger and neither one knew it.

"Hey guys, you all coming in for cake?" Sweets interrupted them.

"Ah, yeah," Hodgins said, panicking. He quickly handed Alexis back to Cam and fled the office.

"Yeah, Sweets. I'll be there in a minute. Just gotta put Alexis down for her nap."

"Dr. Saroyan?" Sweets inquired.

"What?" Cam responded a little harsher than she had intended.

"Ah…nevermind," And Sweets was gone.

Cam finally got Alexis calmed down enough to lie still, and grabbed a baby monitor on her way out of the room.

She had only eaten a few bites of cake when Alexis let out a deafening cry.

"Does she do that often?" Booth asked as Cam quickly stood and exited the platform.

"Only when she doesn't want to sleep," she called over her shoulder.

* * *

Several hours later, after excusing herself from the lab to save her team from going deaf, Cam was exhausted. Alexis still hadn't stopped crying. Cam had done everything she could think of, including playing a song that had always calmed her down in the past.

At this point, Cam's sobs mimicked her baby's. They were both tired and they were both grumpy.

Cam wrapped the yellow monogrammed blanket around Alexis, she seemed to calm down some, but it wasn't enough to solve the problem. She had cried so hard at this point that a fever was beginning to present itself.

After giving her a fever reducer, when she still wouldn't stop screaming, Cam did the only thing she could think of in her emotional, sleep-deprived brain.

Grabbing her cell phone out of her bag, she dialed an all too familiar number.

_You shouldn't be doing this_, her brain scolded. _This is stupid. You wouldn't normally do this…_

The person on the end picked up and said "Hello?" interrupting her thoughts.

"Hodgins?"

* * *

**I hope it was everything you'd thought it be! Review! It makes me review faster. :]**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: This chapter gave me troubles for days. I hope it was worth all my blood, sweat, and tears. =]**

**Thanks to Mollie, who keeps my head on straight. And helps me switch my thinking from character to character. And reminds me when the music stopped playing.**

**This chapter was brought to you by: Champagne by Cavo. Anywhere but Here by SafetySuit. She is Love by Parachute.**

****

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, clearly.**

****I had to re-publish this because it came out weird. Sorry for any confusion.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

When Hodgins' phone buzzed on his nightstand, it did not wake him. As it was, he was already awake and simply staring at the ceiling. The day had taken its toll on him. He hadn't known that being around Cam and Alexis that much would be that difficult.

"Hello?" he whispered, getting out of bed carefully, as not to wake his sleeping wife.

"Hodgins?" The sound of Cam's voice, and Alexis' heart-wrenching cries, on the other end sent him into panic mode.

"Cam? What's wrong?" he was already pulling pants on.

"She won't stop," Cam let out a sob, "She won't stop crying. I don't know what to do. Neither of us have slept in days. She's crying so hard she's getting sick. I—"

"I'll be right over," he cut her off without any hesitation.

After pulling on a shirt, he grabbed his keys and wallet. Almost out the door, he remembered Angela.

"Went out for a bit. Be back before morning. Don't worry," he scrawled on a note, left it by the coffee maker, and ran out the door.

Knocking on Cam's door, Hodgins couldn't remember the drive to her house. It had been nothing but a blur as he rushed over.

When Cam opened the door, he was greeted with a deafening cry from Alexis, and a very tired-look Cam.

"Oh. Thank God," she sighed, pulling him into a hug. Careful of Alexis, Hodgins wrapped his arms around her gently. At that point, with their baby crying, and the woman he loved so upset, he didn't care if there would be a backlash or if she would hate him later. He simply wanted nothing more in the moment then to make her feel better.

"I'm sorry, I just—" Cam pulled back from the hug.

"Don't worry about it. Here, I can take her," he said, lifting Alexis from Cam's arms and cradling her. "You relax."

As he sat on the couch, he could see the proof that she hadn't slept in days. Her eyes were bloodshot and tear tracks were still evident on rosy cheeks. Where she usually held herself with confidence and determination, she now held herself in exhausted resignation. Her shoulders slumped and she could barely keep herself upright.

"She doesn't usually act like this. I don't know what's wrong," Cam explained, breaking Hodgins from is silent appraisal. "I tried everything that usually gets her to stop crying, but it hasn't worked. I…I'm not a bad mother."

The only other time he had seen her like this was after Zach was sent to the loony bin. Hodgins knew what she was feeling: frustration. She couldn't control the situation and that scared her.

"I know you're not," Hodgins said quietly, conveying more emotion in those four words than he had intended to.

"Hey Alexis…" he said to his daughter. "What's got you so upset, hm? Why are you causing your mom so much trouble?"

At the sound of his voice, Alexis started to calm down. Hodgins' heart swelled. His daughter loved him and was comforted by her father, knowing of the fact or not. He needed Cam to tell him. He needed it to be common knowledge. If he hadn't made up his mind before, it was made now. He had to be a part of Alexis' life. She clearly wanted to be a part of his.

As he kept talking to AJ, soothing her to a voluminous whimper, he kept Cam in his peripherals. She had sat down, and was now holding her head in her hands, elbows on her knees.

"Cam?" he asked softly, turning his attention from Alexis.

"Hm?"

"Why don't you go take a shower? It'll help, I promise."

"Um. Yeah. I would, but…" she trailed off, clearly not wanting to leave Alexis.

"I've got her," he promised. Then he added, for good measure, "And I'm not going anywhere."

Looking at him in a way that told him she knew what he'd meant, she quickly left the room, leaving Hodgins and Alexis alone. When he noticed the silence, he looked down to see that AJ had given up her reverie and was now fast asleep in his arms.

It wasn't until then that he realized that Cam was going to shower. Which meant that she trusts him enough with Alexis to leave them alone together. But which also meant that she would be in the next room. Naked. While he sat here alone, save for a sleeping baby.

_Nice work, Hodgins_, he thought. _Way to torture yourself even more_.

* * *

_He knew better than to stay in the lab during lunch time. Still, Hodgins stayed behind while the rest of the squint squad went out. His excuse had been his lack of hunger._

_Hating himself for it, Hodgins actually stayed behind with the hopes that Cam would leave her office and head for the decontamination room._

_Since walking out on him that morning three weeks ago, Cam had been overdoing the attempt at making the whole situation less awkward. It had backfired, of course, and the whole lab could tell something was up. When he confronted her about it one night when working late, things started to snowball._

_They ended up bent over her desk, their groans and sighs echoing throughout the lab. Needless to say, he had to pay off security the next day in order to erase the tapes._

_So when Cam exited her office and made brief eye contact, breaking him from his reverie, Hodgins was both disgusted at the situation, and relieved that it was still happening. She hadn't turned him down yet…_

_Following her into the decontamination room, Hodgins already had his lab coat off and belt undone by the time he came to a stop inside the room. Cam's back was to him as she slowly slid her tight dress down her body._

_Hodgins' breath hitched in his throat, as it did every time he saw her undress. When she turned around, standing before him in nothing but a pale pink bra and matching underwear, Hodgins took sighed deeply, regaining control._

_"You're still fully dressed…" Cam pointed out the obvious, trying to make light of the situation._

_He couldn't speak. Cam had never worn some thing so…feminine before. Sure, it was always sexy, but never something so soft and girly._

_She did this for you, _he reminded himself_._

_Yeah, but she only wants you for this. Nothing else, _he told himself. Again_._

_Aware that he was probably making Cam uncomfortable, Hodgins undressed, never moving his eyes from her as she slowly took her lingerie off._

_As they stepped in the shower, he cursed himself for getting into this situation. He hated that it had come to this. At the same time, he knew that he couldn't be close to her any other way._

_Turning the hot water on, he kissed her hot and tenderly._

_"Hodgins," Cam sighed, pulling away from him with a devilish smile on her face. "You won't break me."_

_A low growl erupted from his chest as his control faltered. Pushing her against the wall, Hodgins kissed her jaw line and moved down her neck. While one hand was placed on her hip, the other found its way to her breast, rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. His lips found the space where her neck met her collarbone, and bit gently, leaving a mark and eliciting a low moan from Cam. _

_"We shouldn't be doing this," Hodgins mumbled against her skin. He gently lifted her up, trapping her between him and the wall. _

_"Doing what?" Cam dodged his question, groaning as she sank down on him and wrapped her legs around him._

_Raising his head to look in her eyes, he pulled almost all the way out of her, only to sink back into her._

_"Tell me no, Cam," Hodgins half-begged her. "Tell me to stop."_

_"Hodgins…" She grumbled._

_"Tell me to stop, Cam."_

_"Don't…Don't stop," she whispered, rolling her hips against his. "Please…"_

_At her small plea, what little control Hodgins had maintained crumbled. The dam broke._

_Later, when Cam quickly got dressed and left the room, Hodgins was still pulling on his clothes._

_This is six, dude. Six times you've damn near attacked her, the guilty part of himself said._

_But she didn't want you to stop, the hopeful part whispered._

_Fully clothed, he walked out of the decontamination room to find that everyone had come back from lunch. Dr. Brennan was already fast at work on the platform. Angela was no where in sight, probably working on something. And Cam was…_

_Cam was flirting with a tall FBI man Booth had brought in for a day of training._

Yeah, she didn't want you to stop, but keep in mind that she doesn't actually want you_, Hodgins berated himself, snapping gloves on and getting to work._

* * *

Stepping into the shower and turning on the hot water, Cam sighed her relief and exhaustion. She rinsed the make-up and tear tracks off her face as new tears began to fall. As if on their own volition, her fingers had dialed Hodgins' number when all else seems hopeless. She knew it was not a good idea to have him there. She knew she would have to tell him soon. Alexis already gravitated towards him too much not to warrant curiosity.

Finishing her shower routine, she turned the water off and stepped out. When she heard Hodgin's voice in the other room, still talking to Alexis, her heart swelled. Nothing had touched her more than to see the look he and AJ shared when he held her.

She had called him out of panic and fatigue. However, seeing him with Alexis earlier, both at the lab and in her living room, she knew that, whatever the consequences, he was good for Alexis. As a mother, she was doing the right thing. Cam was sure of it.

Hearing a cry come from the other room, she quickly wrapped a towel around herself and rushed from the bathroom.

"Alexis?" she asked, worried something had happened.

"Shhh. She's ok," Hodgins said in a soft voice. "She just woke up from a small nap. She's ok."

"Oh…Ok…I just heard her cry and…" Cam trailed off, finally realizing that she was standing before him in nothing but a towel.

"And you panicked. It's ok. I understand. She's your daughter and you haven't been away from her all that often. But she's safe with me, Cam. You can trust me."

The look in his eyes told Cam a hell of a lot more than his words. Nodding at him, a slight, knowing smirk at her face, she quickly turned around and headed to her bedroom.

After redressing and wrapping her hair into a low bun at the base of her neck, Cam re-entered the living room in lounge pants and a sweatshirt. Sitting next to Hodgins, she said nothing. Instead, she simply placed her hand on the top of AJ's head, rubbing the baby's forehead with her thumb. She looked up from the Alexis and saw Hodgins' eyes on her. His bright blue ones held something that should have made her hopeful, but only succeeded in scaring her.

"Are you hungry?" Cam asked, getting up suddenly. "Alexis got to eat earlier. I didn't get anything but splattered and slobbered on." Cam tried to joke as she walked into the adjoining kitchen.

"Nah, I'm good," Hodgins replied, getting up and walking in to keep her company.

Cam got out an apple and leaned on hip against the counter, eyeing Hodgins.

"She likes you, you know," Cam told him. "I doubt she'd spill her entire meal all over you."

"I'm sure I'd get even messier. She'd have a hay day with me," he laughed with her.

At the sound of her parents laughing, Alexis let out a giggle that surprised them both.

"Well look at that, you got her laughing again," Cam said unsurprised.

"We got her laughing again," he corrected her.

A silence fell between them, neither knowing quite what to say given the situation.

"Hodgins…" Cam started.

"I know…" he whispered, apparently knowing what she was going to say.

"She's—"

"I know."

At that moment, Alexis yawned and tried to stretch in Hodgins' arms. Cam, excited at the prospect of some sleep, carefully took her from his arms, and grabbed a bottle of formula.

"You coming?" she called behind her, walking out of the kitchen

"Uh…yeah," was all he could register. Cam giggled internally.

Entering the nursery, and not bothering to turn on the light, she sat in the rocking chair. Alexis latched on to the bottle and sucked, fading fast into sleep.

"She's beautiful," Hodgins mused.

"Yes, she is," Cam agreed. "It surprises me sometimes, when I realize how perfect she is."

"Will you tell me about her?" he asked in a low voice, leaving against the door jamb.

"Wh…What do you want to know?"

"Was the pregnancy easy? How did the labor go? What was she like when she was born?" Cam could hear the excitement and wonder in his voice.

"The pregnancy wasn't awful. Labor wasn't bad either, though at the time I remember thinking that I'd rather be dismembered. Alexis was seven pounds, seven ounces, eighteen inches long. She didn't cry much when she was born. She just…seemed to be looking around, taking in the world around her," Cam could feel her eyes welling with tears she couldn't stop. "The first two weeks were hectic. By then, Michelle had started school, but I couldn't just leave the lab unattended. So, I finally found a babysitter who I could trust to with Alexis most of the day."

"I'm sure you still worried though,"

"Of course I did," she mused.

"Did you breastfeed?" Hodgins asked, unabashed.

Cam should've been nonplussed at his uncomfortable question, but it didn't phase her. Instead, she could only smile and think back. "I tried, but she ate more than I could produce. She always seems to be hungry."

"Who does she take after?"

"Well, she seems to always be a perfect angel when someone else is around. But, when it's just me, she likes to cause trouble."

"So she takes after me?" Cam heard him ask.

"Yeah…she takes after you."

They smiled at each other. Cam knew that everything would change after tonight. She knew that, eventually, he would have to go back to Angela, and she would have to face reality. In that moment, however, safe within the darkness of the nursery, everything was ok.

Cam stood, handing the bottle to Hodgins, and carefully placed Alexis in her crib.

Straightening, she turned towards to door to see him gone. Feeling a brief moment of irrational panic, Cam exited the nursery and found him in the kitchen, placing the bottle in the sink.

She felt foolish, thinking he'd left.

"So…I guess I see you at work?" Hodgins gathered his things.

"Yeah, of course," she remained calm and cool on the outside. On the insdie she was nervous and fluttery and didn't know why. "Listen…thanks again for coming over. I…I couldn't have done it with out you."

"Hey, don't worry about it," he turned towards the door.

"Hodgins?" his name slipped form her lips and he turned to face her. "You can stay…if you want. You can help me get her ready in the morning."

"Really?" he asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Yeah, come on, I'll make you a bed on the floor in my room, if that's ok?" she saw him setting his things back down on the couch and cursed herself for being relieved that he was staying.

"That's perfect."

When his bed, made out of folded blankets and a zipperless sleeping bag, was laid out on the floor, Cam turned off the light and settled into her bed.

Lying in her bed, she couldn't help but think about the man lying on the floor. As much as she knew she shouldn't want him there, she was relieved that he had stayed. For her as much as for Alexis.

"Hey Hodgins?" she asked in the darkness.

"Yeah?"

"What about Angela?"

"I don't know," he said honestly, in voice so soft Cam barely heard it.

She rolled over and faced the wall, falling asleep listening to the breathing of the man she was happy was there.

* * *

Hodgins woke up on the floor of the room, holding a very warm, sleeping Cam in his arms. Despite the guilt punishing his conscience, it felt good to hold her in his arms. He tried to roll over and get up, only to have her stop him.

"No…Warm," she mumbled in her sleep.

"I know," he dropped a kiss on her forehead. "But we have to go to work."

That seemed to have worked, but Cam's eyes popped open and she was awake and standing within seconds.

"Cam?" he asked, noticing her panicked expression.

"How…Why did I wake up on the floor next to you?"

"You got up to check on Alexis once, and when you came back, you crawled in next to me."

"I…I did what?"

"You came back in your room, and instead of stepping over me to get in your bed, you just laid down next to me." Hodgins tried to explain calmly, trying not to freak her out.

Something failed, however, because he could see her walls quickly locking in place.

"I think you should leave, Dr. Hodgins."

_Oh, here we are. Back with the Dr. Hodgins bullshit._

As irritated as he was that she was clamming up again, he knew that if he pushed the situation, it would end worse. They had come so far last night, considering everything.

Resigned, Hodgins quickly stood, smoothed out his sleep-wrinkled clothes, and walked to the living to pick up his things. After gathering his things and exiting the apartment, he leaned his back against the door. His little girl was in there, and his little girl loved him. That's what mattered. He could work around the heartbreak.

The drive to his house went by rather quickly, as his mind was on anything else. Entering his house, he set his stuff down and went upstairs. After showering and changing, he went into the kitchen to find a note sitting next to his.

"You didn't come home last night. Hope everything's ok. We'll talk at lunch. Love you, Angela."

_Shit_, Hodgins thought_. He'd forgotten about Angela_.

* * *

**Hope you all liked it! Read&Review. Please.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: SO SORRY it took so long. The first week back at school after fall break was super stressful. Between school, friend stuff, and family crisis', I've had very little time to write. However, I have gotten this out as soon as I possibly could. With many reviews [some luck, and some love from you guys] I can hopefully get the next chapter up this week as well.**

**Thanks to Mollie, who never gives up & never surrenders.**

**This chapter was brought to you by: Back to December by Taylor Swift, Hurricane by Something Corporate, and some Three Days Grace.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

After getting Alexis fed, and dressed, Cam set about getting herself ready for the day. She put on a pencil skirt that hit just above her knees and a light sweater that showed off her curves. Telling herself she wasn't trying to impress anyone in particular, she got Alexis settled in her carrier and headed out the door.

The lab was quiet when she entered at 7:00am, but was up to it's usually energy by 8:30am. Brennan and Booth were bickering about a former case, Clark was standing on the platform praying he didn't have to talk to anyone, and Angela was in her office working on something. Hodgins still hadn't shown up. But then, that didn't surprise her.

* * *

_This was it. They were at the airport saying goodbye to everyone. Dr. Brennan was going to Maluku. Booth was going to Afghanistan. Angela and Hodgins were going to Paris, and Cam…was pregnant and staying here to hold down the fort._

"_I've really enjoyed working for you, Dr. Brennan." Cam told her colleague._

"_In fact, Dr. Saroyan, I worked for you."_

"_We both know better." And they did. Technically, Cam was the boss, but if anything, the two women were equals._

_Just after she hugged Brennan and stepped back, Hodgins quickly moved towards his boss._

"_Okay, I made you this chart of all the poisonous reptiles and insects, what they look like, how to avoid them, and what to do if you get stung or bitten, so..._

"_Thank you, Dr. Hodgins. I love you, too."_

"_Wow."_

"_Booth informed me that proffering of overly solicitous advice is indicative of love."_

"_Wow." Seemed to be the only thing Hodgins could respond with. They were Cam's thoughts exactly. So much had changed in the past few years…_

_Hodgins stepped back and Angela greeted the doctor._

"_Angela."_

"_Hey, Sweetie. I hope you find something that just changes the entire notion of what it means to be human."_

"_I will."_

_Everyone was getting ready to leave, when Dr. Brennan paused, and began to walk towards the escalator. Then Cam saw him._

"_Oh my God," she said, surprised that he had shown up._

_Blaming the pregnancy hormones, Cam started to tear up. Those two people were in love with each other, and neither wanted to admit it._

"_Cam," Angela started, going in for a hug. "Call if you need anything, ok?"_

"_Oh, I will. You all can't get away from me that easily."_

"_Okay, we have to get going. Bye, Cam. Bye, Dr. Sweets." Angela waved to them as she and Hodgins walked away._

_Cam wanted to stop them, to say something to Hodgins, but she couldn't. Instead she stood rooted in one spot. Hodgins looked back at her, the look in his eyes she knew all too well. He made a little wave before placing his hand on Angela's lower back and turning back around, heading to their gate._

_When Sweets asked why she was crying as they left the airport, she chalked it up to the sadness of everyone leaving. It wasn't too far from the truth._

_It was simply the realization that she was in this alone._

* * *

"Cam?"

Looking up from her current task of feeding Alexis, she found Hodgins peeking his head into her office.

"Do you have a minute?" he asked her.

"Yeah, of course. What do you need?"

"I just wanted…to—talk about last night."

"Ah, ok. What about it?"

He looked at her incredulously. "What do you mean 'what about it'?"

"It didn't mean anything."

"You crawled onto the floor beside me after telling me all about Alexis and your lives together. And that doesn't mean anything?"

"What doesn't mean anything?" Angela walked into Cam's office holding a sketch of the latest victim.

"Nothing. Did you find something?" Cam said.

"Hey, Ange," he said at the same time, moving in for a kiss.

"I don't like being kissed when it's not about me. You know that. And I know that something is going on. Cam has a baby, and you clearly know about it."

Hodgins said nothing and only looked at her with wide eyes. In a moment of panic, he looked to Cam for help.

"Cam?" Angela tried.

Cam just looked down at Alexis, who was currently oblivious to the tension in the room.

"Oh…" Angela said a jaded quality to her voice. "Alexis is…two months old, isn't she?"

Cam only nodded.

"Which…makes sense. I knew the two of you had been acting weird lately."

Alexis' parents could only look down at their feet like disobedient school children.

"That would make me the rebound wouldn't it?" Angela finished, turning to walk out.

"Angela, wait," Cam stood from her position behind the desk.

"Cam, it's ok. I…don't blame you." She looked at Hodgins.

"It's funny, Jack. I'm still the one walking away, and you're still the one who's not stopping me." Angela finished. Her tone was both defeated and biting, telling them everything they needed to know.

Angela walked out.

"I…" Hodgins gestured to the door.

"Go talk to her." Cam agreed.

Hodgins rushed out the door.

* * *

"Angela?" he asked, walking into her office.

"What do you want, Jack?"

"I couldn't let you walk out again."

"And why was that? Because Jack Stanley Hodgins never makes the same mistake twice?"

"No, because I would like to explain myself," he exasperated.

"I don't need an explanation. I need you to remove yourself from the doorway so I can leave," she told him.

"Will you listen to me?"

"No, I won't," she said. "Clearly, Cam didn't want to listen to you either." He heard her mumble under her breath.

"Excuse me? Angela…I didn't know she was pregnant. When we left for Paris, she and I were nothing. I didn't find out about Alexis until you did!" His voice raised more than he wanted it to.

"Then maybe, just maybe, before you start defending her, you should think about the fact that she didn't tell you!" She countered, her voice just as loud.

An apologetic silence settled between them. Both knew the other was right. Neither was going to admit it.

"So…" Angela started.

"So…" Hodgins repeated. "We call Caroline?..."

"Yeah…I'll see you at home after work. I'll work on moving my stuff out."

"Yeah…"

* * *

_After Hodgins left her apartment, Cam had tried to compartmentalize. She had tried to let everything go and focus on the essentials. Instead, she could only think about Paris, and what she would be missing out on, and how much she should have told him._

_"Cam? What's wrong?" Michelle noticed her tears._

_"Oh, nothing. Just life."_

_"I'll say…" Michelle murmured under her breath._

_"What did you say?"_

_"Oh, nothing."_

_Cam fidgeted with her hands._

_"Look, Cam. Do you have something you need to tell me?"_

_"Michelle? You were the one who came in here."_

_"I saw the test. In the bathroom trash can."_

_"Oh…" Cam couldn't bring herself to even attempt an explanation. Or an elaborate cover story._

_"Cam, What's going on?"_

_"I thought that would be fairly obvious…"_

_"You're pregnant, Cam! This is something you share with your daughter!"_

_"I know. I just found out this morning. I—"_

_"What kind of role model are you supposed to be? You have Agent Booth intimidate Perry for you, and yet here you are, pregnant without a man in sight!"_

_"Michelle!" Cam rarely yelled. She and Michelle had always lived more as friends then as true mother and daughter._

_"No, Cam. You don't get to play parent. Not this time." Michelle said quietly, walking out of the living room and into her bedroom, closing the door with a gentle thud._

_Several hours later, Cam entered Michelle's bedroom, hoping the girl had calmed some._

_"Michelle?"_

_"I'm sorry, Cam" the girl whispered. Cam could tell she was crying._

_"Ah, hun. You have nothing to be sorry about. I should have told you."_

_"Sometimes, I just forget that you're my parent, and not my friend."_

_Cam's heart swelled at her comment._

_"I love you, Michelle."_

_"Love you too, Mom."_

_Cam laid down next to Michelle and held her tight. Both women fell asleep quickly._

* * *

Alexis was happy. She was laying in her crib in Cam's office, and she was giggling and wriggling.

Cam, on the other hand, was feeling the opposite. She had just hurt Angela in a way that no woman should hurt another woman.

"Cam?" She looked up to see Booth.

"What do you want, Seeley?" Cam sighed, not trying to hide her exhaustion.

"Well, Camille, Bones and I were heading out for a drink, and I thought you might want to join us." He leaned down on her desk.

"Not tonight, Booth."

"Woah…Cam," his look instantly softened. "You didn't even correct me when I called you Camille. What's up?"

"I…Angela found out."

"Oh…"

"And Hodgins followed her."

"Cam…"

"I know he had to. It was what he needed to do but…"

"But it felt like he was walking out. For good."

"Yeah…" she said with resignation. Looking up at Booth, Cam saw the twinkle in his eye. The one that always told her something interesting was about the happen.

"Booth?"

"Hm?"

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because I just came up with a solution to both our problems," he gave her a smile that she hadn't seen in years. She mirrored his look. Inside, she was telling herself it was a bad idea. Outwardly, she didn't seem to care. Cam needed to feel something other than sadness.

"That wouldn't be a good idea," she told him, standing up from the chair. Her facial expression said so much more.

"Then don't do it."

Before either of them knew what was happening, Cam kissed him, and he pulled her against him. She moaned when he lightly bit her lower lip, and he growled when she ran her nails across the back of his neck. He backed her up to the edge of the desk and grabbed her wrists, holding them behind her back.

When they finally came up for air, Cam's mind went into overdrive.

_This isn't right_, it said. _This isn't who you should be kissing._

This isn't who you want to kiss.

"Booth, stop," she placed a hand on his chest to keep him away when he leaned in for another kiss.

"That was…"

"Wicked?" she finished for him.

"Yeah…And a huge mistake."

"Not if we don't do it again…"

"Deal." He agreed with her.

"This is…" she started.

"Kinda weird." he said with a chuckle.

"To put it kindly, yes." She grinned at him. "I should head home."

"Oh yeah, Of course," Booth back away, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Booth," Cam said in order to get him out of her office.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow Cam."

After he left, she went to AJ's crib and looking down at her happy baby.

"Time to go home, baby girl."

* * *

Hodgins unlocked his door and walked in to find Angela sitting in the middle of the living room surrounded by suitcases.

"Good thing I haven't unpacked everything yet, right?" she tried. He could tell she was trying to ease the tension.

"Procrastination has to be good at some point," he responded with a grin. "Look, Ange I—"

"I know Jack. You didn't know. I just. I wish that you would've told me there was something between you and Cam before we left."

"There wasn't…not really. We…had a one night stand…" he managed to get out. It sounded weird coming out of his mouth, even to him.

"A one night stand? You don't do one night stands."

"Exactly…then it became lunch breaks. And after hours. And—"

"And the storage room?" Angela finished for him, a knowing smile on her face.

"The decontamination shower actually."

"Ah…"

The silence unnerved them both. Hodgins hated this. He hated that he hurt her. He hated everything about it. But he also knew that he couldn't pretend anymore.

"Do you love her?" Angela asked as if reading his thoughts.

"Yeah, I love Alexis. She's my daughter. Why wouldn't I?"

"Jack…" She gave him an exasperated sigh.

"I…know what you mean," he took in a deep breath. "I think I loved her before we even went out for drinks that night. We'd been flirting for weeks. We were friends. Then…we went out for drinks that night. Neither of us was too far gone, but we shouldn't have been making decisions."

"You love her."

"How can you say that so definitively? I barely know how I'm going to react to her, let alone how I feel about her."

"Because I know the look in yours eyes. That's the same look you used to give me. It's the same look Booth gets when he talks about Brennan. The look Sweets gets when he looks at Daisy, as nauseating as that can be," she finished with a friendly smile.

_That's my Ange_, he thought. _Always trying to make others feel better_.

"I'm sorry Ange…I thought I was over her. I thought that I could move on. I—"

"You wanted to feel happy so badly that you didn't think rationally. I get it, Jack."

Somehow, despite what had happened between them, they were ok. They would be ok. He could feel it. Angela had always been so good to him.

"So, what are you going to do?" she shook him from his reverie.

"Hm?"

"What are you going to do? About Cam? About Alexis? You've got to do something."

"You said it yourself, she's the one who didn't tell me."

"That's true, but you're the one who left. And as much as Cam likes to believe that she's all independent, she's a lot like Brennan in this respect. You left to go to Paris, which means you left her. She's got to trust you, Jack."

Hodgins sat still for a moment, his mind churning. Suddenly, he leaned in, kissed Angela on the lips, and stood.

"Thanks, Ange. I…" he gestured towards the door.

"Go talk to her."

He walked to the door, opened it, and turned back to face Angela.

"Angela, I'm—"

"I know. Go."

Hodgins shut the door behind him and walked to his car.

* * *

A knock on her door startled Cam. She set her book down and stood, moving towards the door. She opened it to see an unexpected face.

"Hodgins?"

"Hey Cam. Can I…?" he gestured inside.

"I don't think so, Dr. Hodgins," Cam made no move to open the door. Between the night before and the day they'd had, she didn't need this tonight.

"Please, Cam…I just want to talk," he pleaded. They shared a look. She didn't want to do this…And his eyes were begging her.

"Not tonight, Jack…"

* * *

When she closed the door in his face, Hodgins sighed. He shouldn't have expected this. The night before had been so out of character for Cam, and when she woke up next to him, and she panicked, he knew he had pushed his luck.

Last night, he'd told her he wasn't going anywhere.

He sat down in the hallway right in front of her door and closed his eyes, listening to her rustle around inside.

* * *

***hides from vegetables beign thrown***

**PLEASE review! They will cheer me up and get me to get the next one done MUCH faster.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Sorry this took so long. It's hell week for the show. So things are little hectic. This is shorter than I usually write, but I've put several oen shots lately to make up for it? The next chapter will be longer. Promise.**

**Thank, one again, to Mollie. **

**This chapter was brought to you by:: Colors by Crossfade. Annie by Safetysuit. And Back To December by Taylor Swift.**

* * *

Chapter 9

_She woke up to something brushing against her leg. Looking down, she realized that Hodgins had woken her up in the middle of the night, again._

_"Why'd you have to wake me up?" Cam asked with a groan._

_"Well," he kissed her thigh. "Because, there is this beautiful woman lying in my bed," he kissed her again. "And I just couldn't sleep knowing that she was not the object of my full attention."_

_"Hodgins…" Cam attempted to scold him but only succeeded in moaning his name as pressed a hot, wet kiss where her leg meets her stomach._

_"I mean. If you want me to stop…"_

_"No…Please…"_

_"Please what, Cam?"_

_"Touch me."_

_Hodgins ran his hands from her knees down to her center, and back, but never actually touched where she so desperately wanted him to._

_"Don't make me beg, Dr. Hodgins," she stated playfully, hoping it would get him to taste her._

_"Well, when you put it that way, _Dr. Saroyan_," He emphasized her formal address._

_When he moved, cam held her breath, hoping. However, he only went about placing kisses over her stomach._

_"Goddammit, Jack. Taste me!" She said, completely exasperated._

_"That's my girl," he said proudly before finally touching his tongue to her wet center._

_Her orgasm came hard and fast against his mouth. When she calmed down from her high, he was above her, softly kissing her neck._

_"Hodgins," she inhaled sharply when entered her._

_Pulling back to look at her with lusty blue eyes, he slid all the way in and held himself there. "_Dr. Saroyan_, what's my name?" he whispered hotly, rolling his hips against hers. She stayed silent, unable to say or do anything_. He felt so good…

_"Camille…" he pulled all the way out._

_"Jack!" She yelled, raking her fingernails across his back._

_"That's my girl," he growled out, sliding back into her and setting a slow pace._

_She knew that this night wouldn't last, but she wanted so badly to believe that it could._

Cam woke up on Saturday morning wanting to kick the ass of her subconscious. The dream she'd had last night left her all hot and flushed…and angry. She refused to admit that she missed him. Her subconscious, however, clearly felt differently.

She groaned as she remembered yesterday's events and pulled her pillow over her face.

What had she been thinking! Kissing Booth. It was completely unprofessional and unacceptable. The last thing she needed was a rebound repeat with him, on top of everything else.

_You know why you did it_, her brain told her.

And she did. She kissed him because she thought, irrationally, that it would make everything go away. All the pain, anyway. And she wanted to be happy, or at least feel something other than heartache.

The phone rang, which made Cam jump at the sound and run in to the kitchen to answer before it woke Alexis. Her attempt was unsuccessful, however, because as soon as she answered, Alexis let out a hungry wail.

"Hello?" Cam answered, walking to the nursery with a bottle.

"Dr. Saroyan," Dr. Brennan's voice came through the line.

"Hey, Dr. Brennan. What's up?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to go shopping today. It is my understanding that women who are friends often do this. I have shopped with Angela on several occasions."

"Oh…Dr. Brennan…I'll need to get Alexis ready, but…yes. I think I'd like that," Cam was touched. Maybe shopping with a pseudo-friend would get her mind off things.

"When would you like to go?"

She looked at the clock to see that it was around 9:15am.

"Does around 2:00pm work for you? I can pick you up on our way to the mall?"

"Those terms are satisfactory."

"Ok. See you then, Dr. Brennan."

"Bye, Cam."

Hanging up the phone, Cam finished feeding Alexis and laid her down under her plaything on the floor. She was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, she could use some help. Since her baby sitter had basically quit, Cam could use the extra help. The extra encouragement. The extra love for Alexis. Not that AJ needed any extra love, but it was a nice thought.

Remembering that she hadn't picked up the mail the day before, she went out to check the box in the hall way.

Cam opened the door to find Hodgins sleeping in the hallway.

* * *

_Last night shouldn't have happened. Cam knew that. And she was sure that if anyone else knew, they would know that too._

_She had always felt something for him. He was easy to flirt with. Safe. She had gone out that night expecting nothing but a nice night with some friends. Needless to say, she hadn't planned on sleeping with her coworker. In fact, that was the last thing she would ever plan. You have to stay professional. Having sex with someone you work with was by no means professional. Even if he is funny, and smart, and too attractive for words…_

_"Oh!...Ow." She exclaimed, running into someone. Apparently, her brain was anywhere but work today._

_"Cam…"_

_Of course, she thought. Of course, it would be Hodgins I would run into._

_"Dr. Hodgins, how is your analysis coming?" Cam sputtered out._

_"Analysis? There's no case today…Booth and Dr. Brennan have been with Sweets all morning."_

_"Oh…well. Then," she had no idea what to say to him. What she really wanted to do was wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him senseless. Just thinking about kissing him gave her a delicious feeling low in her belly._

_"About last night," he started, but Cam raised her hand signaling for him to stop._

_"Not now, Dr. Hodgins."_

_"We have to talk about it at some point, Camille."_

_"Don't. Call me Camille," she tried to make her voice harsh. "We can…talk at lunch. Most everyone will be out for a while and we will have some privacy."_

_"Ok," was all Hodgins said. He looked at her with his blue eyes and that smile that told her he knew what she was feeling._

_Cam turned and walked away before she could say, or do, anything infinitely more stupid than anything she'd done already._

* * *

"Care to tell me why you were sleeping outside my door?" she asked him as she set a glass of orange juice down on the kitchen table in front of him.

"Would you believe that I'm a closet narcoleptic and just fell asleep?"

Cam just gave him a look.

"Didn't think so. Look, I understand that you didn't want to deal with me last night, but…I need you to know that I'm not going anywhere. I don't know how else to say it. I'm not going anywhere."

Cam's heart melted. Part of her wanted to go to him then, forgive him for everything, convince him to forgive her, and kiss until neither of them could breathe. But the other part of her, the part that hated being vulnerable and was fiercely independent, was far too skeptical.

"Jack…I know you mean well, but—"

"I'm her father, Cam. I deserve to be a part of her life," he cut her off. He was right, she just didn't want to admit it.

Hodgins being more involved in Alexis' life meant being more involved in hers. And she wasn't sure that she could handle that.

"You're right," she said in a low voice, not looking at him.

"But Cam, I…I…What?" he sputtered.

"You're right. You're her father. You should be in her life."

* * *

_"Did you know what babies have finger nails as early as the third trimester?" Cam asked. She was holding a new-mothers baby book with wide eyes. "Do you know what actually happens to the female pelvis during pregnancy?"_

_"Cherie, I do not need to be hearing this. Besides, don't you deal with dead people all the time? Didn't you already know this?" Caroline responded._

_"Well, I know how to tell if a victim is female and has given birth, but when I never actually put it together that I would be going through it too…"_

_"You have got to realize that this is actually happening. Burying yourself in your work and pretending it doesn't exist isn't going to make it go away."_

_The lawyer's wise words struck Cam in a way that no other's had._

_"Caroline, I am dealing with this the only way I know how. I…"_

_"Have you told him, cherie?" Caroline interrupted her._

_"What do you think?" Cam sighed, knowing it was no use hiding from Caroline._

_"I think that the father of this baby should know about it. Whether you want him to or not."_

_"He doesn't need to know. I am perfectly capable of taking care of us all by myself."_

_"Mmhmm, cherie. You keep tellin' yourself that, and you're going to start sounding a whole hell of a lot like Dr. Brennan."_

_As much as she hated to admit it. She knew Caroline was right. This baby was real. And whether baby girl's father was around or not, Cam was determined to be the best mother someone could ask for._

* * *

"You're…going to let me be involved?" Hodgins asked. He'd been expecting the apocalypse and found the Garden of Eden.

"As long as Angela is ok with it, you may be a part of AJ's life." Cam's words hit him like a ton of bricks. This is what he'd been expecting in the first place.

"Why does Angela have anything to do with that decision?" He was truly dumbfounded. This should only be between him and Cam.

"She's your wife, Jack."

"We…We're separated. Planning on getting a divorce." It was hard for him to admit, but it was true.

"Why?"

"Why? Because we fought. Because we're having problems. Because some things have come between us that—"

"Oh, so, everything there's a fight or a problem, you're going to leave?"

"It's not about that."

"Really? Because from where I'm standing, you just run every time something negative comes up—"

"I don't love her like—"

"Don't love who?"

"Angela."

_God, the woman could be dense sometimes_, he thought. _If she would just let me tell her._

"Oh, well. I'm sorry…that it's not working out, but—"

"Don't you see it, Cam? It's right in front of you. _I'm_ right in front of you…"

"Hodgins…You're vibrating…"

"I love _you_, Camille."

Cam stood starring at him and Hodgins thought he was going to go crazy with the deafening silence in the room. _Why won't she say anything…_

The phone rang and Alexis let out a cry.

"She's just hungry…" Cam said in a low voice, gesturing in Alexis' direction.

"I'll feed her. You answer the phone." To his surprise, she let him.

* * *

"Hello?" Cam picked up the phone. Her heart was pounding. She didn't know what to do about this whole thing. She had broken up Angela and Hodgins. She had—

"Cam?" She heard Angela whimper, clearly crying. This only added to Cam's panic. "Can we talk?"

* * *

**Read & Review! =]**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's note: Sorry this chapter took so long. Hell week sucked. The first weekend of the show went well, though, so that's good. Thank you all for mostly patiently waiting!**

**Special thanks goes to Mollie, for understanding that the chapter must be written before homework gets done. [Speaking of which...I should get on that...]**

**This chapter was brought to you by: What's My Name? by Rihanna & Drake.**

**Warning: This chapter is especially M. Be warned. =]**

**Please read & review!**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

"Of course, Ange. What's wrong?"

"No, I mean," Angela's hiccupped, then sobbed. Cam felt nauseas. "I mean, in person. Can we talk in person, Cam? Please."

"Sure, when?"

"I was thinking we could grab lunch at the diner, maybe?"

Cam checked her watch and saw that it was already 11am.

"Sounds good. I can be there in about a half hour?"

"Thanks, Cam…" Angela's voice sounded stronger now, if only a little.

"No, problem. See you then."

Cam looked up at Hodgin's to find him holding Alexis. They were both giggling.

* * *

Cam hung up the phone and Hodgin's finally allowed himself to breathe.

_Angela and Cam talking?..._he thought. _That can't be good…_

"I have to go," she said hurriedly, trying to lift Alexis out of his arms.

Instinctively, Hodgins' arms tightened around AJ and a look of fear and panic spread across Cam's face. It broke his heart.

"Jack…" she whispered. He could her that she was trying to be stern, but only succeeded in amplifying her fear.

_She was actually afraid that he would take Alexis…_

"I can watch her for a while. You go have lunch with Angela and I'll be right here."

"But I have to meet with Dr. Brennan too—"

"I can watch her, Cam. Nothing will happen to our baby. You know that."

"Ok…" he could see her discomfort when he said our baby. "The bottles are in the fridge. Just bring it up to room temperature. She eats a lot, so be warned. The diapers and changing table—"

"Are in the nursery. Along with the wipes and baby powder. I can do this. You have to trust me."

"I'm sorry…I'm just…"

"You're worried. I understand."

They shared a look, and Hodgins had to hold in his sigh of relief when she started gathering her jacket, keys, and purse.

"Thanks you, Jack," she said just before she left the apartment.

"You get to spend the day with Daddy, doesn't that sound like fun?"

Alexis started crying which told Hodgins exactly how she felt about Mommy leaving.

Maybe, he was in much deeper than he would've liked to admit.

* * *

_They stumbled out of the cab, and made their way into his house, all the while never taking their hands off each other._

_Upon entering the house, she soon felt herself being backed up against the door. He pulled loose her tight bun and dug his fingers into her hair. As she quickly undid the buttons on his shirt, he yanked her skirt up around her waist and lifted her against him, urging her to wrap her legs around his waist._

_"Jack…" she moaned when his lips moved across her collarbone._

_Cam hadn't felt anything like this in a very long time. She felt…explosive, like she was about to combust. All they'd done so far was some heavy petting and kissing, and yet she suddenly couldn't get enough of him._

_His lips found hers, and they kissed hotly. His teeth found her lower lip and bit gently, causing Cam to grind her middle against his. One hand was tangled in his short curls, holding his head to hers, while the other found its way between them to unbutton and unzip his pants. She quickly pulled him out and wrapped her hand around him._

_"God, Cam…" he grunted against her mouth. She smiled against his lips, and soon found her hands held above her head with one of his hands._

_His other hand pulled her panties to the side and positioned himself at her opening._

_With one quick thrust he was inside her, and her breath hitched._

Dear God…_she thought. _I did not expect that from Hodgins…

_"Jesus, Cam. You're tight," he managed to growl out._

_"You're not exactly small, mister."_

_Hodgins kissed her again, sucking on her bottom lip, which caused her to moan even louder, and tighten around him._

_"Camille," he tried to scold her. "If you want this to last longer than 25 seconds, you need to stop that."_

_The look in his eyes as he said that told Cam that his feelings mirrored what she was feeling: one night wouldn't be nearly long enough, so 25 seconds definitely wouldn't cut it._

_Cam moved her head to the side and nipped his earlobe._

_"Who said we're only doing this once?" She whispered._

_Hodgins' hand gripped her ass, and he began to move his hips back and forth, sliding in and out of her, slamming her back against the door with every thrust._

_The pace quickened until his grunts blended with her moans in the middle of their kisses._

_Hard and fast, they came together. She called out his name at a volume she was sure the neighbors heard but didn't care. Even as he pulled out of her, and slowly let her down till her feet hit the floor, she could only think about the next time he would be inside her._

Hold off, Cam,_ she reminded herself. _Just because he's good at that, doesn't mean he has a mind blowing talent for everything.

_She noticed Hodgins' staring at her and quickly looked down, blushing._

_"Wow…" was all she could think to say as she slowly started straightening her clothing._

_"What do you think you're doing, Dr. Saroyan?" he murmured, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her gently._

_"Well, you just showed me..."_

_"If you think that's page 187, that that's the best I can do, then you don't know me very well."_

_"Hodgins…" she whispered._

_He leaned in close, "I can't start out with my best stuff. You've got to build up to that big moment."_

_Cam's knees nearly buckled as he kissed her._

_He moved her in the direction of the stairs and walked directly behind her, his arms around her waist._

_"You see, Cam," his hands moved up to feel her breasts through her dress. "I don't tell just anyone about that thing I do." He kissed the top of her spine. "Because if I did," Kiss. "Then everyone would do it," Kiss. "And I prefer," Kiss. "For women to remember me every single time they think of this thing." Kiss._

_At the end of his speech, they'd reached the top of the stairs and he guided her into his bedroom._

_This time, when he kissed her, it wasn't rushed or hurried. They weren't so fired up that they would combust at any second. The kiss was gentle and smooth._

_He reached for her and slowly undid the zipper on the back of her dress. It fell to the floor, revealing a deep purple bra and matching undies._

_"Take them off…" Hodgins whispered with a hoarse voice. She felt so exposed under his adoring stare._

_Cam reached behind her and unhooked her bra, letting it slide down her arms onto the floor. Next, she slid her panties down her legs and stood before him._

_The look in Hodgins' eyes was on of pure, unadulterated want. And it did delicious things to Cam's insides._

* * *

_Hodgins couldn't believe his luck. Here he was. Standing in the middle of his bedroom. And Camille Saroyan was standing naked in front him._

Say something. Say something_, his mind begged him._

_"Uh…Damn," he tried. His voice cracked and he instantly blushed. He'd held it all together until now. "I mean. Wow…You look…" he swallowed._

_Cam giggled and turned, climbing on the bed. Hodgins had his clothes off so fast he could've made it an Olympic sport._

_He climbed into bed and laid down next to her, propping himself up on his elbow. His other hand caressed her stomach while his lips found her and kissed her gently._

_His kisses became more and more soft. He kissed her cheek, her jaw line. When he kissed her collarbone, she squirmed and her breath hitched._

_With every kiss, Hodgins was finding it harder and harder to pull away. He hated that this would have to end in the morning. But he was determined to make her remember this. Remember him._

_He kissed her sternum, then paid special attention to each breast. He then kissed her stomach work his way down._

_"What are you doing?" Cam asked with a groan._

_"Well," he kissed her thigh. "Because, there is this beautiful woman lying in my bed," he kissed her again. "And I need to know what excites her."_

_"Hodgins…" Cam attempted to scold him but only succeeded in moaning his name as pressed a hot, wet kiss where her leg meets her stomach._

_"I mean. If you want me to stop…" _

_"No…Please…"_

_"Please what, Cam?"_

_"Touch me."_

_Hodgins ran his hands from her knees down to her center, and back, but never actually touched where she so desperately wanted him to._

_"Don't make me beg, Dr. Hodgins," she stated playfully. Part of him wished she would beg…_

_"Well, when you put it that way, _Dr. Saroyan_," He emphasized her formal address._

_He moved, feeling Cam go still. He hovered over her center, then proceeded to place kisses over her stomach_

_"Goddammit, Jack. Taste me!" She said, completely exasperated._

_"That's my girl," he said proudly before finally touching his tongue to her wet center._

_Her orgasm came hard and fast against his mouth. When she calmed down from her high, he was above her, softly kissing her neck._

_"Hodgins," she inhaled sharply when he entered her. He instantly realized his mistake: no protection. But she hadn't brought it up. And the thought of a barrier between them made Hodgins want mark her. He wanted her to be his._

_Pulling back to look at her with lusty blue eyes, he slid all the way in and held himself there. "_Dr. Saroyan_, what's my name?" he whispered hotly, rolling his hips against hers. She stayed silent._

Damn, the woman felt good…_he thought. It was all he had not to take her hard and fast again. But this time had to be different. This time felt different._

_"Camille…" he pulled all the way out._

_"Jack!" She yelled, raking her fingernails across his back._

_"That's my girl," he growled out, sliding back into her and setting a slow pace._

_She was tight and wet around him and it was torture to move this slowly. But he was doing this for her. For them. He needed her to know…_

* * *

_Cam was in heaven. Hodgins was not only good at hard and fast, but also slow and gentle._

_He moved slowly in and out of her, and she was praying that he would kiss her, caress her_ anything_._

_"Look at me, Camille," he said in a low voice. It was a command, but it wasn't threatening it was…loving._

_As much as Cam didn't want to believe that they were making love, she knew that that's what they were doing. So she looked at him._

_Staring into his eyes, she didn't notice one of his hands move between them and touch her center. She let out a little gasp, and closed her eyes._

_"No, Cam. Look at me." She could almost hear the 'please' that never came. "We're making love, Cam. You have to look at me. I want to see you come."_

_She opened her eyes and his pace quickened slightly. His hand moved, he changed positions slightly, and Cam's world lit up. _

_He'd kept all his promises that night._

_Cam had officially experienced page 187._

_And she was sure to never forget it._

* * *

Cam sat at the diner across from Angela. Almost immediately, she started checking her phone, making sure she hadn't missed a call. She'd already "gone to the bathroom" twice to call and make sure everything was fine. Hodgins kept assuring her it was. Her foot bounced up and down against the table leg, making it shake.

"Cam? You're shaking. What's wrong?" Angela asked, concerned.

"I..um. I left,"

"You left Alexis with Hodgins? I thought so. It's okay to be nervous, Cam. But I'm sure everything is fine."

"You're right. I'm sorry. You wanted to talk."

"I just wanted to explain myself. Why I wasn't all that upset."

"Ange, you don't have to—"

"I want to…"

"Ok," Cam wasn't really one for awkwardness.

"When he called me to go to Paris, I knew something was up. I went with him because we'd had a good thing. I thought we could get it back, and if not, I mean, we'd have a good time together, right? As we got closer in Paris, we started to get our old thing back, but I knew he was hung up on someone else. I could tell. I let it go, because I thought it was done, that he would get over it eventually and we could be happy like we were. When we got back and I saw the look on his face when you two came in, I knew. I knew it was just a matter of time before the truth leaked out. That he was hung up on you, and he would always be, and it was just a matter of time until he went back to you."

"Oh, Angela…" Cam could see the discomfort in her friend. Angela was barely holding it together…

"As far as the whole marriage thing goes, he was vulnerable, and I pushed him. And I think it's because we always had this timing issue. There was Birimbau. Then I was with Roxie, then Wendell. Then he was with someone, who I now know was you. I just—I saw this opportunity, and I thought, 'now. we should do this now while we have the chance, while he's free and clear.' But he wasn't. He's not."

"Free and clear? Angela, he and I aren't together. We never were. We—"

"Cam, I see the way he looks at you, especially when you're not looking at him. He used to look at me like that. I know that look."

"Ange…"

"He loves you, Cam. He loves you with all of his heart. And you love him too, I can tell."

Not knowing how to respond, Cam checked her phone: Nothing.

"Call him, it's ok. I understand. You're worried."

Cam did just that. But this time, Hodgins didn't answer with his usual "everything's fine. Stop worrying." In fact, there was no answer at all. The phone kept ringing.

She tried again, doing all she could not to go into panic mode. Still, no answer.

She looked to Angela with a panicked look.

"Go home, sweetie. It's ok."

"But Angela, I…"

"We're ok, Cam. We always were. I just needed you to understand."

The two women hugged, and Cam was out the door to the diner, phone to her ear.

Hodgins still hadn't picked up.

* * *

**Whatcha think? Review, please!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's note: I'm sorry this took so long. The show happened, then life happened, then everything happened. Still, that's no excuse, so I'm sorry this is so short and has taken too long.**

**Special thanks to: Akarana & Mollie, as always.**

**Please read & review!**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

Cam sped through the streets of DC. Repeatedly, she had to remind herself to slow down. She kept calling both Hodgins' cell phone and the house phone. Neither was being answered. Panic had officially set in.

Coming to a stop at a red light, Cam sighed. She knew it was irrational, but she was worried. Hodgins hadn't been around a baby that young before, at least not one like Alexis. Anything could've happened. She could've gotten sick; she could've started a screaming fit.

_He could've taken her…_Cam's brain reminded her as she pulled up to the apartment.

_Please…Please still be there…_Cam kept thinking, not knowing exactly who she was speaking to. She wasn't just worried about him taking her away. Rationally, she knew that he would never do that. She was mostly worried that she would enter her apartment, and someone else would be watching Alexis. She was worried he would leave.

Because the thought of doing this without him scared her more than she'd like to admit.

For as much as she was fiercely independent, Cam wanted nothing more than to keep him around. For as long as she possibly could.

Cam kept calling the two phones. Running up the stairs towards her apartment, she was having trouble breathing. She entered her apartment and stopped short. There was no one in the living room, or the kitchen. Her chest tightened, and it felt like a weight was pressing on it.

* * *

_Something woke Cam from her sleep. Something hot and wet that was placing kisses over her chest in various places._

_"Hodgins," Cam half-moaned. "If you keep waking me up like this…"_

_"Hm?" he questioned, never stopping his movements. "If I keep waking you up like this, what will happen, hm?"_

_"Jack…" she growled as he swirled his tongue around her belly button._

_"Yes, Cam?"_

_Cam couldn't take it anymore. She flipped them over and hovered above him. Being on top was one of Cam's favorite things. And by the way Hodgins' eyes darkened to a deep blue, he must thoroughly enjoy the view from that angle._

_Never breaking eye contact, she moved a hand to grasp him and position him at her entrance. Ever so slowly, she sank down on him._

_"Camille…" Hodgins murmured. Unable to move his eyes from hers, he slid his hands up her legs to her hips, placing his thumbs at the points where leg met torso. Cam groaned and Hodgins smiled. He already knew that was one of her weak spots._

_There love making was slow and tender, so unlike the last three or four times that night. When they were spent, Cam lay on her side and slung an arm over his chest._

* * *

Cam entered her bedroom after checking the nursery to find Hodgins asleep in her bed. Alexis was lying on her back beside him, giggling and blowing spit bubbles. Sighing with relief, then cursing herself for actually thinking that Hodgins would leave, she noticed how exhausted Hodgins looked. Smiling, she carefully picked Alexis up and cradled her in her arms.

"Let's let daddy sleep, what do you think?" Cam murmured as she left the room.

* * *

_Cam awoke, surprised to see that it was still dark outside. Her head hurt some, and she momentarily panicked before she realized the man she was sleeping next to was Hodgins. Moving her head to look at him, the world spun just a little. Laying her head back down on his chest, she sighed. Logically, she knew she should wake up him. They should talk about everything that had just happened. Cam Saroyan just had sex. Four or five times. With a co-worker. _

You made love…_her brain reminded her._

_But part of her, the part that didn't want this feeling to end quite yet, let him sleep. They'd talk about this in the morning, when she had her right mind about her._

Yes, the morning seems much more practical_, she thought as sleep took over._

* * *

"_I want a dream lover, so I don't have to dream alone…_"

The old 50's tune broke Hodgins out of his nap. He yawned, rubbed his eyes, then smiled as he heard Cam start to sing the Four Seasons, which started playing next. He rolled out of her bed and walked to the living room. The sight presented to him brought a twinkle to his eye.

There was Cam, clad in hip-hugging jeans and an old sweatshirt, dancing around the room, spinning and swirling Alexis in her arms.

"Late December back in '63…" Cam sang slightly off-key.

He smiled to himself as love for her overtook him. Cam, his Cam, was letting loose. To oldies music, for that matter. He'd never seen her let go like that before. And it thrilled him.

_"Oh, what a lady, what a night…"_

* * *

_Lying in bed and staring at the ceiling had become something Cam was intimately familiar with. Ever since that night, the night she and Hodgins had made love, she hadn't slept. At least, if she did, it hadn't come easily. Usually, she couldn't sleep because of a case, or she simply couldn't handle being alone._

_But tomorrow, Cam would be driving to the airport to say goodbye to her friends._

_And to Hodgins._

_He was going to Paris for a year._

_He was going to do nothing but live for a year._

_He was moving on._

_He was going to be happy._

_Without her._

_Rolling over onto her back, she laid a hand on her still-flat stomach._

_"A baby," she whispered incredulously. "I'm having a baby."_

_Slowly, Cam drifted into a fitful sleep, dreading tomorrow._

* * *

"_Oh, I remember. What a night—_" Cam stopped singing when she saw Hodgins standing in the threshold between the hallway and the living room. Her movements slowed to a stop and felt her face flush in embarrassment.

"The Four Seasons, hm?" he asked, tilting his head teasingly.

"Yep," Cam replied, turning her back to him. She set Alexis down in her bouncer and headed for the kitchen.

"Why didn't you wake me when you get home?" he followed her.

"You looked tired," Cam replied, her voice much sharper than she'd intended.

"Did you and Angela have a good lunch?" Hodgins tried a different tactic to get her to speak.

"Mmhmm," she answered, getting a glass from the cupboard.

"Kind of short, wasn't it? I figured you girls would be gone for much longer," he let out an awkward laugh. Cam stayed silent, wondering when he'd mention the calls. "I thought you and Dr. B were going shopping this afternoon?"

"I cancelled."

"Oh…"

There was long silence. Hodgins was leaning against the counter. Cam continued to get herself a glass of water.

"Cam, what's wrong?" he finally asked. When she didn't say anything, he tried again. "Cam—"

"You didn't answer when I called," she outburst.

"That's what you're upset about?"

"Yes! That's what I'm upset about. How do I know something hadn't happened? How do I know she hadn't gotten sick?"

"Because I would've called you if something had. You've left her with a babysitter before. How is this any different?" His anger was rising, as was hers. They were moving closer.

"Because it is!"

"Why?"

"Because—"

"Why, Cam?"

"Because I thought you might've taken her and left."

His lips crashed down on hers and she responded with just as much passion. The kiss was all lips and teeth and tongue and emotion. All their anger and frustration coming out. Then his hand slid up to cup her cheek and kiss softened. She melted into him. It turned slow and loving. Her fingers curled around the fabric over his chest and Cam let out a low moan.

"Cam?"

They jumped apart like they'd been shocked and looked towards the voice.

Michelle stood in the open doorway of the apartment with a shocked look on her face.

"Michelle?" Cam asked, her voice cracking.

"Hodgins!" Michelle screeched, realizing who it was.

"Hey Michelle! How—"

"Get out."

The young girl was clearly upset.

All three went silent. The only sound in the apartment echoed hollowly.

_"Darlin' you send me…Honest you do…"_


	12. Chapter 12

****

**Author's Note: Again, a short chapter. BUT I'm in the middle of exams so...you should be happy you an update.**

**Thanks to angiebc, who helped me think in teenager. Mollie, who helped me think in boy. And ProfeJMarie, who helped me figure out where this is all going.**

**I wrote it, though..promise. =] Enjoy.**

* * *

"I suppose that would be my cue to leave," Hodgins said after a moment.

"That it would," Cam agreed. She turned away from him and shut the music off, unable to keep a smile from spreading across her face.

Hodgins kneeled down on the floor and lightly tickled Alexis, who giggled.

"I'll see you tomorrow, baby girl," murmured to her.

"She likes you, you know. She's different when you're not around," Cam tried to explain, unsure of whether she was speaking about Alexis, or about herself.

"Cam, I…" he trailed off, standing up again.

"I thought you were leaving," Cam smirked, teasing him.

"I am, I am," he grabbed his keys and headed for the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, Cam."

"Tomorrow is Sunday. We don't have work. Why—"

"I'll see you tomorrow, Cam," he repeated with a twinkle in his eye.

"Okay," she responded as Hodgins walked out of her apartment, closing the door gently behind him. Cam was in trouble; she'd agree to a lot where that twinkle was concerned.

Sighing, Cam picked Alexis up from her spot on the floor and walked to Michelle's room.

She knocked lightly before opening the door, "Michelle?"

"What do you want?" she sighed with attitude.

Taken aback by the young girls attitude, Cam steeled herself, "I was going to come in here and have a nice talk with my friend, but it looks like I'm gonna have to play the mom card." Cam paused, waiting for Michelle to say something. When she didn't, Cam went on. "Jack…hmm. Dr. Hodgins and I are both adults. I understand that there are children involved, but—"

"You just don't get it, do you?" Michelle started in on her own speech, "Ok, so you flirt with a coworker. You even sleep with him, and I could handle that. I mean, one night stands happen, right? But sleeping with him after that? You weren't even dating him!"

"How did you know—"

"I'm not blind, Cam. I notice things. I'm intelligent."

"I know that, Michelle. I'm intelligent, too"

"No, you're not!" The girl countered bravely. Cam was startled. "You're not intelligent. You didn't tell Dr. H about being pregnant. You didn't go with him to Paris, which would've been way cool. You didn't even ask him to stay behind! You let him go and get married!"

Cam bounced Alexis gently and looked at her floor, ashamed.

"You send me off to school. I mean, yeah, you sent me to a private boarding school here in town, but I'm not living here with you. Because you know I'd have called you out on your bullshit long before now."

"Michelle! You have no right—"

"And now, after all of this, you're kissing him? You're not thinking, Cam! Have you even thought about the long run? Have you thought about your friends? Your job? Alexis? Me?"

She went silent and Cam couldn't bring herself to respond.

Michelle was right. Cam wasn't thinking. Nothing about this situation made any kind of sense. None of her actions were thought through at all. She had to say something…

"I kissed Booth, too…"

"Mom…" she sighed.

And the two women laughed. Both at the ridiculous situation, and at themselves. Alexis joined in, giggling and clapping.

"Are we ok, hun?" Cam asked quietly.

"Ok? OF course we're ok. Why wouldn't we be?" Michelle asked honestly. Cam waved her hand, gesturing to the fight they'd just had. "Oh, so we fought? We've done it before. I'm just worried about you…"

Cam wasn't sure what this meant. But she knew that Michelle had given her exactly what she needed:

The sense knocked back into her.

* * *

Hodgins exited Cam's apartment with a smile on his face. For as much as he was worried about Michelle and Cam, he couldn't knock the feeling of…sheer joy.

_We kissed_, Hodgins thought. _We kissed, and she promised to see me tomorrow_.

Grinning, Hodgins got in his car and immediately started planning. Tomorrow was going to be perfect.

* * *

Having Michelle back home for the day made Cam miss having her around more. She woke up having someone to talk to who could speak in coherent sentences. She woke up with someone to make breakfast for. She didn't wake up alone.

After breakfast, they lounged around in their pajamas and watched cheesy Lifetime movies. Still in their pajamas, Cam was laughing at one of Michelle's stories when they heard a knock on the door. Cam got up and answered it, revealing a very giddy-looking Hodgins.

"Um…" was all Cam managed to say. Standing there in her lounge pants and a thin tank top, she'd never felt more vulnerable as she did then, under Hodgins' stare.

"Hi, Dr. Hodgins," Michelle yelled from her spot on the couch.

"Am I allowed in?" he asked with a smirk on his face.

"Oh, of course. Come in," Cam crossed her arms over her chest.

"Ok, ladies, get dressed! We're going out."

"Out? Where?" Michelle asked excitedly.

"It's a surprise," he picked Alexis up from her spot in her bouncer. "I'll get this one ready. Come on, come on! We're burnin' daylight here!"

Cam followed Michelle back to their bedrooms, thinking that she was crazy for listening to him.

And even crazier for loving it.

After changing three times, Cam finally decided she was ready to go and they all headed out. Cam carried the baby bag. Hodgins insisted on carrying Alexis.

* * *

"This is our surprise?" Cam whispered, astonished.

When he had pulled up to the neighborhood park, she'd thought he was kidding. But now, standing in front of a fully spread picnic blanket, complete with every kind of food imaginable.

"Cool," Michelle stated before sitting down on the red and white checkered blanket and picking up a grape.

Speechless, she looked over at Hodgins, who looked right back at her in an "I dare you to stop me" kind of way.

"Sit down, Cam," he whispered in her ear. "Enjoy yourself."

Cam sat and began to eat, intermittently feeding Alexis her formula. The three ate and laughed and conversed easily. An hour or so later, most of the food was gone. Hodgins was reclining back on his elbows, legs extended and ankles crossed. Michelle lay on her stomach, feet up in the air. Cam sat Indian-style with Alexis on the cloth in front of her.

After a lot of debating, Cam gave in and plucked a chocolate covered cherry from a plate.

"Oh! Tie the stem, Cam!" Michelle dared her, as she stuck the cherry in her mouth.

"Michelle, I showed you that once. And it was after a movie marathon. I was on a sugar-high."

"Aw, come on, Cam. Just for me? Since I came home to visit?" Michelle pouted.

"Yeah, come on, Cam. Just for her?" Hodgins agreed. But something in his voice was telling her it wasn't _just_ for Michelle.

"Okay, okay," Cam conceded.

She placed the stem in her mouth, and pulled it out about 2 seconds later.

Michelle cheered while Cam looked to Hodgins, her cheeks reddening. He looked as though someone had just punched him. But the look in his eye, complete with the twinkle, told her that he had found her trick very impressive.

"Can I take Alexis to play on the swings?" Michelle interrupted their staring contest.

"Yes, just stay where I can see you," Cam warned her. "And you know—"

"To only put her in the red swing because it's padded and has a seatbelt. I know, I know," she sighed, picking up AJ and walking towards the playground.

Cam took a deep breath and stretched her legs out in front of her.

"Don't even try to act like Michelle is a pain. You missed her," Hodgins joked.

"I did miss her. I just forgot how blunt she can be."

"How was everything last night after I left?"

"It was…okay," Cam smiled. "I pulled the mom card. She yelled at me. I told her about kissing Booth. We laughed. And then everything was fine."

"You kissed Booth?" Hodgins asked, stunned.

"Yes…" Cam couldn't look at him, feeling guilty for letting that detail slip out. "We were both in my office the other day. It was right after Angela found out. He was feeling…mischievous, I guess. He thought that maybe he and I could-get-together because-we're-in-love-with-people-like-you-and-Dr.-Brennan-and-so-we-kissed-but-it-didn't-feel-right-so-I-stopped-and—"

"Cam?"

She stopped talking and took a deep breath, "Yes?"

"You love me?"

"That's what you got out of that speech? Oh, that is just so like you. You pick out the most random, inconsequential part of what I'm saying and you choose that to make a point about. Why can't you just not listen like normal guys? Or listen better and only pick out the points I need you to pick. Or—"

"Cam."

She stopped rambling.

"You love me?"

"Yes…" she whispered so quietly he almost missed it.

"Marry me."

"I...what?"

"I'm your guy, Cam. I'm your guy…I know it's been hard for me to let you back into your life, especially now with Alexis. I understand why you didn't tell me about her earlier, but now is our chance to give her something special. To give her the family every child should grow up with. You let me back into your life and to hers, and I want to be there for both of you, for all three of you…For the rest of my life and yours. Let's be a real family. For them and for us. Please…I love you, Camille Saroyan. Marry me?"

Cam stayed silent, not knowing what to say. A million thoughts were going through her head.

"Cam…Say something…please…" Hodgins begged.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's note: This has taken longer than I anticipated, but I've been working on another fic which you all hsould go check out. Hint Hint. **

**Please read & review. It is always appreciated.**

**

* * *

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"Cam…Say something…please…" Hodgins begged.

"I…I…"

"Camille…" Hodgins looked directly in her eyes, silently pleading.

"Jack," she took a deep breath. "You're still married. I just…can't. It's too soon. I have Michelle and Alexis to think about I can't just—"

"Cam, this will be good for them. Give them a home."

"Hodgins!" she rasied her voice. "No."

They just looked at each other. Neither moved, they barely breathed.

"Awkward…" Cam heard Michelle say. She broke eye contact with him and turned to see Michelle standing next to them holding a very sleepy Alexis.

"Michelle!" She jumped up and carefully took AJ. Her words were rushed in embarrassment. "Everything go alright?"

"Yes, mom. Everything was fine. Can we go home now, though? I'm super exhausted. And I have a date tonight, remember?"

"On a Sunday?" Hodgin's chimed in. Cam gave him a look that made him snap his mouth shut.

"On a Sunday?" Cam scolded. "Don't you have to go back to school tonight?"

"I'm going back tomorrow morning before class."

Cam and Hodgins both gave her a look that said they didn't approve. Michelle shook her head in exasperation, grabbed her things, and headed towards the car.

* * *

"He asked you to marry him, didn't he?" Michelle asked the next morning at breakfast. All her things were packed and settled by the door.

"Oh, hun. He…" Cam trailed off. Michelle looked at her as if their familial roles were reversed. "Yes. He did."

"You said no." It wasn't a question, but a statement. The young girl knew her too well already.

"Yes…I said turned him down."

"Cam…" she seemed truly worried. She'd expected the teen to be upset, considering what had happened on Saturday. "Why?"

"Because…he's still technically married to Angela. And while I'll admit that it could be good to have him in our lives, especially AJ's, I just…I can't."

"He's not going to hurt you like Dad did."

The fact had come out of nowhere. Thinking, Cam groaned. Maybe Michelle was right. Maybe it all stemmed from Michelle's father. Whatever the cause, Cam couldn't do it.

"I'm sorry, Michelle. I just…I can't put myself in that kind of situation again."

"I understand," she conceded, getting up and grabbing her things. "I'll see you in a few weeks. We have break soon."

"Okay, I'll see you then. Call me when you get there."

"I will."

Michelle left. The conversation had been short and somber, which was unusual for them. Cam sighed, cleaning up the dishes and getting Alexis ready to go.

* * *

The week following their picnic was one of the longest weeks Cam has had in a long time. Every time she entered a room, Hodgins would start rambling about inconcequential things, and then bolt from the room. Whenever he would walk in, Cam would stop laughing or talking and go silent until he finished his business and left. They were so awkward that even Dr. Brennan noticed.

"Cam?" She asked, not looking up from the set of remains she was examining. "I've noticed some animosity and awkwardness between you and Dr. Hodgins. Would you like to talk about it?"

"Ah, Dr. Brennan…"

"I understand that it is common for women to share these kinds of things with each other. I thought I would offer."

"No, I don't want to talk about it. But thank you." Despite turning her offer down, Cam felt oddly proud at her colleague's growth.

She left Brennan to her work on the platform and headed for her office. Alexis was sleeping soundly in her crib, and there wasn't even any paperwork for her to get done. Cam sighed, collapsing into her desk chair.

"I can't believe this," she spoke to Alexis, pretending she wasn't talking to herself and started rearranging the things on her desk. "Even Dr. Brennan is noticing that something is wrong. And she's oblivious most of the time. I just don't know why he had to go and do this." She slammed a particularly thick file down on her desk and began pacing back and forth. "I was finally letting him in. I was finally letting him be a part of our lives. And then what does he do? He asks me to marry him. I mean, beyond the idea of me getting married, he only wants to marry me because we created a beautiful baby girl together. And I know that'd be best for you, Alexis. But we have to think about me here, too. And I just…" She stopped pacing and held her head in her hands. "I can't believe he asked me to marry him."

"He proposed?"

She whipped her head up to find Angela standing in her doorway. Cam opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

"No…it's okay. I suppose I don't have much say anymore, do I? I just wish he could've at least waited until the divorce was final."

"That's what I said," Cam grumbled, earning a small, knowing smile from the artist.

Despite their current dilemma, the two women had somewhat succeeded in keeping their friendship. If not because they worked together and had been friends before, because they were both irrevocably in love with the most infuriating man on the planet.

"I just stopped by to give you this. They stuck it in with my mail on accident," Angela handed her a small padded envelope, said a quick goodbye, and dashed to her office to finish a reconstruction. But she didn't get away fast enough for Cam to miss the tears in her eyes.

"Well, there's another thing I can be irritated with him for," Cam said on a sigh. Grabbing a letter opener, she quickly slashed the envelope and turned it over, the contents spilling out onto her desk.

Cam froze. A small lock of hair, trapped in a plastic baggy, was now lying on her desk, along with a folded note. Snapping on gloves, she carefully opened it.

"_A man of words and not of deeds _

_Is like a garden full of weeds_

_And when the weeds begin to grow _

_It's like a garden full of snow _

_And when the snow begins to fall _

_It's like a bird upon the wall _

_And when the bird away does fly _

_It's like an eagle in the sky _

_And when the sky begins to roar _

_It's like a lion at the door _

_And when the door begins to crack _

_It's like a stick across your back _

_And when your back begins to smart_

_It's like a penknife in your heart _

_And when your heart begins to bleed _

_You're dead, and dead, and dead indeed._

_I've got her, Dr. Saroyan, like a penknife in your heart._

_Can you save her?"_

* * *

Cam looked catatonic. That's the only way Hodgins could think to describe her. There were tears falling from her eyes, trailing down her cheeks and dripping from her chin, but he doubted she even realized it. She was staring at the little figurine. The one that matched Michelle's.

"Cam?" he approached her carefully. "Is everything alright?" When Cam didn't move or make an attempt to speak, he tried again. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Michelle…" she whispered, her voice unsteady.

"Michelle? What did she do this time?" he tried to joke. His hand automatically traveled

"Gone." Her voice cracked with emotion.

"Gone?" Hodgins asked, thoroughly confused. "Gone where? I'm sure it's nothing big and she'll come back. It can't be that—"

"Gone. Taken. Gone…" She began rocking back and forth, as if wishing the pain away.

That's when he saw the piece of paper that was lying on the floor. Carefully, he picked it up and read it.

"Oh…dear God." He whispered before anger began to take hold. He clenched his hands into fists in order to control it, which resulted in crumpling the paper. He looked at Cam at felt nothing but sorrow for the woman he loved, and anger towards the person who had done this.

Wanting nothing more than to hold her and make her pain go away, Hodgins silently walked back out into the lab.

* * *

Wanting nothing more than to have him wrap his arms around her, she held herself together as Hodgins walked out of her office and headed for the platform.

Cam felt like someone had ripped her breath from her lungs. Michelle had been kidnapped…taken. She was supposed to take care of her, and she only ended up losing her to some psycho. She wiped her tears and stood up shakily. They'd saved Seeley from a ship about to blow up. They'd saved Dr. Brennan and Jack from an underground car. They could find Michelle. They had to.


End file.
